India, Nov. 9 -- The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is once again at a crossroads, with speculation growing over a possible merger between its two factions. The party, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, split in July 2023 when his nephew

Ajit Pawar joined the Maharashtra government with a group of MLAs. Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash in January 2026 has renewed questions about the party's future and the possibility of reunification.

The merger buzz has gathered pace following a series of meetings involving senior leaders from both factions. The developments include a meeting between NCP working president Praful Patel and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, remarks by Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare about an earlier merger plan, an...