Sharad Pawar Rules Out NDA Move, Directs NCP(SP) To Rebuild From Opposition
Sharad Pawar rules out NDA alliance and backs opposition rebuilding.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has ruled out any move by his party to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), directing workers to focus on rebuilding the organisation from the Opposition benches. Pawar conveyed the position during a two-day internal strategy meeting held over the weekend. The directive comes amid speculation about a possible political realignment involving the NCP(SP), the NDA and Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti coalition.
Pawar urged party workers to set aside speculation about political shifts and concentrate on strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level. The party leadership maintained that interactions between its leaders and members of the central or state governments were related to constituency development, agricultural issues and matters of public interest. Such administrative engagements, it stressed, do not represent a change in the NCP(SP)’s political position.
The speculation had intensified after a delegation of eight NCP(SP) Lok Sabha MPs, led by Working President Supriya Sule and MP Bajrang Sonawane, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Sharad Pawar’s meetings with government representatives also contributed to discussions about a possible change in political equations. The latest internal directive, however, reinforces the party’s position as part of the Opposition.
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Maharashtra NCP(SP) president Shashikant Shinde confirmed that the party would function as an Opposition force at both the state and national levels. He said the organisation would undertake a statewide programme involving tours, workshops, brainstorming sessions and public agitations aimed at strengthening its organisational structure. Senior leaders, including Sule and Shinde, have already conducted organisational review meetings in Vidarbha, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra and Marathwada.
The party has also instructed district-level leaders to fill vacant organisational posts that emerged after the July 2023 split and strengthen local units. The next phase of the organisational review is scheduled to cover the Konkan region. District teams are also expected to prepare for public campaigns focused on civic, economic and agricultural issues, as the party seeks to expand its presence ahead of forthcoming electoral contests.
Pawar’s position is significant for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes the NCP(SP), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Congress in Maharashtra. By reaffirming its Opposition role, the NCP(SP) has sought to put an end to speculation about an alliance with the BJP-led ruling establishment or a reunion with the rival NCP faction. The party will now focus on organisational expansion and grassroots mobilisation while continuing its Opposition politics.
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