Sharad Pawar hints at potential merger with Congress, citing ideological alignment

NEW DELHI: There are indications that Sharad Pawar, who left the Congress and formed the NCP over Sonia Gandhi's foreign citizenship, is considering a return to the Congress. Pawar hinted at the merger in an interview with a national media outlet stating that there were no ideological differences between the Congress and the NCP.

Pawar mentioned that opposition politics will undergo restructuring after the 2024 elections. He predicted that in two years, several regional parties might align more closely with the Congress or even merge with it. When asked about the potential merger of his own party, Pawar responded that there were no ideological differences between the NCP and the Congress, as both were Nehruvian-minded. However, he emphasized that any decision regarding a merger would be made collectively after consulting his colleagues.

A significant number of political parties are opposed to the BJP and Narendra Modi and are beginning to come together. Pawar stated that he would not cooperate with Modi under any circumstances. He compared the current political climate to the situation in 1977 when the Janata Party came to power. Like then, the prime ministerial candidate has not been announced before the elections. He noted that Rahul Gandhi is more widely accepted today than Morarji Desai was back then and commended Rahul for his ability to build relationships with various factions. Pawar also mentioned that those who aligned with Modi referencing the NCP-Shiv Sena split, may not be well-received by the public.