Nagpur: Amid intense political heat ahead of the upcoming Legislative Council elections in Maharashtra, speculation has surfaced regarding the potential merger of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), or NCP (SP), with the Indian National Congress.
Addressing these rumours, senior NCP (SP) Working President and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule categorically denied any such development, stating that no proposals had been made or received by her party.
Speaking to the media, Sule said no one had contacted any MLA, MP, or anyone else, nor had her party reached out to anyone. She said she had no idea where the discussion started or who initiated it.
She added that party chief Sharad Pawar had neither received any merger proposal from the Congress nor extended one to them.
When asked about similar national rumours regarding the Trinamool Congress merging or aligning closely under the Congress umbrella, Sule chose not to speculate.
She noted that while Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee recently held a private meeting with former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, she was not privy to their internal dialogue. Only the two leaders were present in that meeting, she said, adding that she did not know whether they communicated anything regarding a merger to the media and had not read anything definitive about it.
Sule reiterated that there had been no discussion regarding a merger on their end, nor had they received any such proposal. She said she was not aware of what was discussed between Sonia Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee, adding that no one had contacted them and no proposal had been given by or sent to Sharad Pawar.
To a question on whether a merger of secular, like‑minded regional parties could be a viable option given the current political climate in India, Sule shifted the focus towards pressing public issues rather than partisan politics.
She argued that the country’s economic, political, and social situation was in poor shape. She said this was not the time to play political games and that there was an urgent need to save the nation.
She highlighted inflation, rising unemployment, widespread corruption, and frequent paper leaks as the critical crises facing citizens. She said the country needed to consider whether it wanted to keep fighting internally or step up to solve these issues.
According to Sule, the current social and economic condition of the country was extremely fragile. She said this was not the time to play politics but to save the nation. She added that the country needed to decide whether it wanted to keep bickering or focus on the future of students affected by the NEET exam crisis.
In a direct jibe at the ruling coalition, Sule said citizens and farmers were deeply distressed by inflation and unemployment. She said their responsibility was to support them. She added that they had never engaged in breaking families or splitting political parties and would never do so.
Sule also spoke about the ongoing hunger strike by NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar, who is protesting to secure justice for farmers and to provide a complete loan waiver.
She expressed concern over his health, given the intense summer heat, but praised his determination. She said she had initially requested Rohit not to go on a hunger strike because they were up against a highly insensitive government and needed to preserve their strength to fight them. However, his dedication and love for farmers drove him to take the step, she said.
She noted that despite fasting for over 24 hours in harsh weather conditions, Rohit Pawar continued to spearhead a major struggle for agrarian rights. She said she was immensely proud of the fight he was putting up for farmers.
