Rijiju's tweet on Sule sets tongues wagging in Maharashtra

New Delhi: Amid intense speculation over the unification of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a tweet by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju appeared to lend credence to the merger talks.

In his post on X, Rijiju announced the names of the seven heads of all-party delegations expected to travel to as many as 35 countries to explain India’s stance and convey a united message of zero tolerance against terrorism following Operation Sindoor.

In moments that matter most, Bharat stands united.
Seven All-Party Delegations will soon visit key partner nations, carrying our shared message of zero-tolerance to terrorism.
A powerful reflection of national unity above politics, beyond differences.@rsprasad @ShashiTharoor… pic.twitter.com/FerHHACaVK

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 17, 2025

The names included Shashi Tharoor of the Congress, BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and Jai Panda, DMK’s Kanimozhi, Sanjay Jha of the Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, and Supriya Sule, whose party was listed as the NCP. Sule is a Lok Sabha member from Baramati in Maharashtra and represents the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction.

Even on the Parliament website, Sule is shown as an NCP(SP) member.

Rijiju's tweet came amid reports that a patch-up is on the cards between veteran Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar. The two had parted ways in July 2023, after which Ajit Pawar joined hands with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The two leaders moved the court over which of them represents the original NCP.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Pawar secured the official party name and election symbol, while Sharad Pawar had to register his faction as NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), with a new symbol.

The reunification buzz gained momentum after Sharad Pawar shared the stage with his estranged nephew and the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister twice in four days in the second week of May.

Earlier, in an interview with The Indian Express on May 7, the senior Pawar acknowledged internal differences in his party on the question of joining hands with Ajit Pawar. “There are two views in the party. One is that we reunite with Ajit, while the other says we should not go with the BJP, directly or indirectly,” he had said.

Sharad Pawar has maintained that his daughter would decide her future and that of the party.

For her part, Sule dismissed the merger talk, saying there was no such proposal and asserting that there had been no change in her stand.

However, Maharashtra political observers are of the view that the reunion talks are primarily aimed at addressing internal dissent in the two factions ahead of the local body elections in the state, and are part of a strategy by the two Pawars. They claim that it is imperative to keep the morale of elected representatives and party workers on both sides high ahead of the polls.

Rijiju's tweet has now added another twist to the ongoing buzz, with some suggesting that the BJP top brass is also keen on seeing the two Pawars reunited. Whether it finally happens remains to be seen, given that the veteran Maratha strongman is known for throwing up surprises.