Amid a push for the reunification of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and speculation that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) faction may “join the government” following the merger, the other parties in the Opposition INDIA bloc have adopted a wait-and-watch approach. NCP legislators are set to meet at 2 PM on Saturday to choose Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra as the Legislature Party leader. Another senior Congress leader from the state said the party had not reached out to the Pawars yet. “Within the state unit, we have already decided that there is no point in speaking to the Pawar family. The two families, the two factions merging, have nothing to do with the INDIA bloc.

Source: Indian Express January 31, 2026 05:09 UTC