Opposition Alliance Adopts Cautious Stance Amid NCP Unification Talks
As buzz intensifies around the potential reunification of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions, the Opposition INDIA bloc has adopted a deliberate wait-and-watch approach. With speculation swirling that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) faction might "join the government" following a merger, alliance partners are carefully monitoring developments while acknowledging their limited influence over internal party matters.
Congress Leaders Express Limited Options in Face of NCP Dynamics
A senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader in Delhi encapsulated the prevailing sentiment with a rhetorical question: "What can we do?" The leader emphasized that the decision ultimately rests with the two NCP factions and the Pawar family, particularly in the wake of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's untimely demise.
"The two factions and the family have to take a call," the AICC leader stated. "A senior member of the family has died and we don't want to interfere and make any overtures right now. We are watching the situation and will do something as the situation develops."
Interestingly, the same leader suggested that the NCP(SP)'s potential exit from the INDIA bloc might not necessarily constitute a setback. "Someone's departure can also have a positive effect on the alliance," they remarked, adding that "politics is too dynamic to make predictions."
Maharashtra Congress Voices Concerns About Potential Loss
However, a Congress Member of Parliament from Maharashtra expressed a more cautious perspective, noting that if Sharad Pawar and his party were to leave the Opposition alliance, it would represent a significant loss. The NCP founder played a pivotal role in orchestrating Opposition unity in Maharashtra, facilitating the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance with the Congress and Shiv Sena (subsequently Sena UBT) in 2019.
The MP highlighted the value of key NCP(SP) figures, stating: "Supriya Sule is a good speaker in Parliament and commands great respect in Delhi and Maharashtra. What can I say about Sharad Pawar? His stature may have shrunk, but he is a stalwart who will always be an asset to whichever alliance or party he is with."
"If they leave, it will be a loss for the Opposition," the MP acknowledged, "but there is not much we can do for now."
Alliance Partners Echo Similar Sentiments of Restraint
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut emphasized the sensitivity of the timing, noting that the Pawar family is currently in a state of shock and grief following Ajit Pawar's passing. "They are in shock and grief. It is an internal issue of the party, and what is there to talk about at this point?" Raut questioned.
Another senior Sena (UBT) leader echoed this sentiment, stating: "There has been a death in the family just days ago. I don't think it is correct to start a political conversation when the family is still grieving."
A Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party, another constituent of the INDIA bloc, provided further insight into the alliance's constrained position. "If there was some anger or discontent with one of the allies, we could have spoken to them. But that is not the case," the MP explained. "What is happening there is the result of an internal aspect. The two families, the two factions merging, have nothing to do with the INDIA bloc."
The MP added an important principle of alliance politics: "Also, there is full autonomy for any party within a larger alliance. What a party does internally has nothing to do with an alliance."
Potential Parliamentary Implications of NCP Merger
The political calculus extends beyond alliance dynamics to parliamentary arithmetic. Currently, the NCP (SP) faction boasts 8 Lok Sabha MPs and 2 Rajya Sabha MPs. Should the merger proceed as speculated, the combined entity would command 9 Lok Sabha MPs and 5 members in the Upper House, potentially bolstering the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) numbers in Parliament.
This development comes as NCP legislators prepare to meet to select Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, as the Legislature Party leader, with expectations that she will be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, the INDIA bloc maintains its cautious posture, recognizing both the limitations of external influence in internal party matters and the need for strategic patience during this period of transition and mourning within the NCP leadership.
