“Even before the last rites were performed, who started the discussion on a merger?” he asked, indicating that the NCP was not ready to reconsider Ajit Pawar’s 2023 decision to join the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance

NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar met Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and her sons in Baramati, days after his remarks hinted at hurdles in a possible merger between the two NCP factions. Emphasising family solidarity following the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, Sharad said supporting each other was the current priority