Congress and NCP Sharad Pawar Hold Merger Talks to Avoid MLA/MP Poaching

New Delhi, July 1: With several MPs of the Trinamool Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) merging eith other parties in last one month, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) has initiated talks of merger once again, sources revealed on Wednesday. The aim of the merger is to avoid poaching of the party MLAs and MPs in coming days. Top sources indicated that talks between the two parties have started once again over a possible merger. The source revealed that at present, the discussions are confined to the Maharashtra units of the two parties as there are several layers of party functionaries that need to be taken in confidence for the merger and their future roles. The source revealed that the NCP SP is currently conducting internal consultations within the party to gauge opinion on the proposed merger. The source said that the Congress and the NCP-SP had also held discussions on a merger after the success in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The talks were held between the top leaders of both the parties in 2024 following the Lok Sabha election results. However, ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections for various reasons the talks did not progress. Subsequently, with the Assembly elections approaching in the state in November 2024, no further discussions on the issue took place between the two parties. As part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the NCP SP had contestedon 10 seats in 2024 Lok Sabha polls and won eight seats, while the Congress won 13 and the Shiv Sena UBT won nine seats. Out of the 48 parliamentary seats, the Maha Vikas Aghadi had won 30 seats while the 17 seats were won by Mahayuti comprising of the BJP, Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde and NCP-Ajit Pawar faction and one seat was won by an independent candidate. However, despite a good show in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the MVA was unable to give similar results as the alliance was decimated by the Mahayuti in the 288 member assembly. The Congress had won 16 out of 101 seats it contested, the Shiv Sena UBT won 20 out of 95 seats and the NCP-SP winning on only 10 out of 86 seats it contested. After May 4 following the election results of West Bengal, 20 of the Trinamool Congress MPs merged with the NCPI. Even Shiv Sena UBT once again witnessed spilt in its party with six of its MPs announced their decision to merge with SS Eknath Shinde faction.