Rohit Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Secular), said he will not join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) [1].
Pawar's stance comes amid reports of growing speculation that the NCP-SP could align with the ruling coalition. His refusal to join the NDA signals a commitment to remaining in the opposition to address public issues and challenges the stability of potential defection rumors.
Addressing the possibility of party members switching sides, Pawar said, "If anyone from our party (NCP‑SP) joins NDA, I will not even say goodbye" [1]. This warning follows contradictions within the party's public messaging, including a remark from Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe that suggested the party might join the NDA before he later said the comment was misinterpreted [2].
Beyond alliance politics, Pawar criticized the government's delimitation bill, describing it as a dangerous proposition [1]. He said the bill is harmful to the country and that the party's focus must remain on opposing such measures.
Other senior party members have mirrored this rejection of the NDA. Supriya Sule said the party will not join the alliance, and noted that their current focus remains on women's reservation [3]. Similarly, Shashikant Shinde said that rumors of the NCP-SP merging with the Congress party or joining the NDA are being spread specifically to destabilize the opposition [3].
Despite these denials, some reports indicate that buzz regarding an NCP-SP and NDA tie-up has continued to gather steam [2]. Pawar's recent comments aim to shut down these narratives by framing any move toward the NDA as an act of betrayal that would result in a total severance of ties.
“"If anyone from our party (NCP‑SP) joins NDA, I will not even say goodbye."”
The internal friction and subsequent public denials within the NCP-SP highlight the volatility of coalition politics in Maharashtra. By framing the delimitation bill as a national threat and threatening to ostracize defectors, Pawar is attempting to solidify the party's identity as a principled opposition force to prevent the BJP from fracturing the alliance through strategic recruitment.
