Pune: NCP members, including cabinet minister Hasan Mushrif and Maval MLA Sunil Shelke, on Saturday said they would support Sunetra Pawar’s decision on the merger with NCP (SP) though the party’s senior leadership maintained that Ajit Pawar did not have any discussions on integrating the outfit with Sharad Pawar’s faction.Interacting with reporters in Kolhapur, Mushrif said, “Only Ajit Pawar was involved in the discussions on the merger issue. The rest of the members from our party were not a part of those meetings. If Sunetra Vahini, other family members and the NCP leadership are in favour of the merger, I do not think there should be any problem with it. If she takes a call, we will have to follow it.”
Maval MLA Sunil Shelke, among the close associates of late Ajit Pawar, said Sunetra would take the decision on the merger. “Whatever decision she takes, we will support her. She will start her work as the deputy chief minister from next week. Then this issue would be discussed. Since we are a part of the NDA, Sunetra Vahini will have to discuss the issue with our alliance partners in the state as well as their central leadership,” Shelke said.
