India, May 15 -- NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday defended senior NCP leaders Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel, saying he was well aware of their capabilities, after reports emerged that their names were omitted from the NCP executive body.

"I do not want to comment on the affairs of other parties, but Patel and Tatkare have been associated with me for over 25 years. I know the kind of capabilities Patel and Tatkare have," Pawar said. He added that the party leadership might assess these two leaders differently and, therefore, may have taken a different stand.

Pawar's remarks came amid speculation over internal churn within the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and renewed discussions around a possible reunion of the two NCP factions. Referri...