Maharashtra Budget Session: NCP-SP Absence Raises Questions About Opposition Unity

On the eve of the Maharashtra Budget session, cracks within the Opposition came to the fore after leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar (NCP- SP) stayed away from a joint press conference of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The press conference, addressed by leaders of the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the Indian National Congress, was meant to project Opposition unity ahead of the session beginning Monday. The absence of NCP SP leaders has raised questions over the cohesion of the three party alliance. At the start of the briefing, Shiv Sena UBT MLA Bhaskar Jadhav said there had been some miscommunication and that NCP-SP leaders would join shortly. They did not. When contacted, NCP-SP leader Jitendra Awhad said he was occupied with the preparations for the first general body meeting of the Thane Municipal Corporation scheduled for Monday. “There was no intention to purposely not attend the Opposition press conference. I could not go because of pending work,” he said. Jadhav said senior NCP-SP leader Jayant Patil had prior commitments. Sources close to Patil said he was in his constituency in Sangli district. However, sources within the NCP-SP linked the absence to continuing speculation over a possible merger between the Sharad Pawar led faction and the ruling NCP led by late Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar. “There is no clear indication about the future of our party. Nobody knows what is going to happen in the coming days. There is uncertainty whether we should take an aggressive Opposition line or wait for the merger and become part of the government,” said a senior leader. Another MLA described the party as being in limbo. “There is no clarity on how we move forward. It is better not to make public comments at this stage. The party looks without a leader,” he said. Leaders of NCP-SP have claimed that a merger between the two groups had been finalised earlier and was to be announced on February 12 . The ruling NCP had dismissed the claims, saying no such proposal was under consideration.