Maharashtra Chief Minister's Remarks on NCP Merger Draw Criticism from MLA Rohit Pawar

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Thursday accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of displaying "arrogance" born out of power over his remarks on the possible merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions. Fadnavis had said on Tuesday that only NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who lead the rival factions, could clarify whether the two parties would reunite. He also maintained that any merger would require consultations with the BJP, the largest constituent of the ruling coalition. Reacting to the remarks in a post on X, Rohit Pawar said Fadnavis's comments reflected the arrogance of those in power. He also accused the BJP and its leaders of using "blackmail" in politics and said they should refrain from commenting on the proposed merger. Referring to the Mundhwa land deal controversy and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections in Pune district, the MLA claimed that attempts had been made to "blackmail" his uncle, late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, but that he had not yielded to the BJP. "Who was blackmailing Ajitdada, and who gave orders to blackmail him?" Rohit Pawar asked.