Goyal says do not expect a merger of NCP factions after Ajit Pawar's death

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he did not expect the merger of two Nationalist Congress Party NCP factions - each headed by Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash two days ago, and his uncle Sharad Pawar.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he did not expect the merger of two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions - each headed by Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash two days ago, and his uncle Sharad Pawar. He said that the NCP, as part of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, has performed very well. ''I personally do not see that will happen,'' he told PTI in an interview when asked his views on the talks of the merger of the two NCP factions. Goyal said that the NCP leadership ''was with Ajit Pawar and now with Sunetra Pawar Ji''. He added that Praful Patel has been appointed as the national president of the Nationalist Congress Party. ''I don't see Mr Sharad Pawar being invited to join the NCP, given that he has lost the people's trust and the vote,'' he added. When asked if the Ajit Pawar faction does insist on a re-merger and if Sharad Pawar does come, would that be a problem for the BJP, he said, ''I personally don't even see that as a possibility''. The minister welcomed and wished Mrs Pawar all the ''very best'' in her foray and in her work as Deputy Chief Minister, expressing confidence that she would do well. Goyal said she is a passionate person and noted that he had seen her work in the Rajya Sabha and in Baramati, where she serves the people admirably. ''Of course, we'll miss my friend Ajit Dada a lot. He was a great administrator, a people's leader, the darling of the people of Maharashtra. And certainly, he leaves behind a big void,'' Goyal said. Sunetra Pawar on Saturday became the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and was allotted excise, sports, minority development and Aukaf departments, but not finance and planning, which her late husband Ajit Pawar held.

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