After the Bharatiya Janata Party’s resounding victory in West Bengal, the landscape of national politics has changed rapidly. The entire opposition has lost momentum due to the open rebellion by Trinamool Congress MLAs and MPs against Mamata Banerjee’s leadership.

Against this backdrop, developments are underway regarding the merger of Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress with Sonia-Rahul’s Congress. Both Mamata and Pawar saheb had decided to leave the Congress for different reasons. In 1999, Pawar saheb rebelled over the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign citizenship. Sonia loyalists expelled Pawar saheb, Sangma and Tariq Anwar.

Pawar’s NCP was founded on 10 June, 1999. Over these 26 years Pawar saheb’s achievements have been only restricted to 15 years of the Congress–NCP government, 10 years as Union Agriculture Minister and the MVA government in the state after Uddhav Thackeray’s betrayal in 2019. Pawar saheb’s political strength once again became the talk of the town after Uddhav Thackeray’s betrayal and the MVA’s success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, after the Assembly election results, UBT’s bubble also burst along with Pawar Saheb’s. But before that, an atmosphere had been created suggesting that Pawar saheb would retire only after finishing the BJP.

Sanjay Raut was repeatedly taunting that it would take a hundred lifetimes to understand Sharad Pawar. Uddhav Thackeray was planning to join hands with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party by betraying the BJP. But the government formation was delayed as Sonia Gandhi was initially not in favour of this coalition. Amidst this, the early morning oath-taking ceremony took place. However, later Dada once again came under Saheb’s wing. Stories started making rounds across print and broadcast media, describing how Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP had been firmly put in their place.

At that time, while arrogantly describing the greatness of “Kaka”, Raut did not miss the opportunity to insult the BJP’s national and state leadership, saying that it would take a hundred lifetimes to understand Saheb. Raut had once again repeated this statement four years later in 2023. Pawar saheb had predicted that the MVA would win around 32–33 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His prediction turned out to be spot on.

After that, Saheb’s influence increased significantly. Banners praising his political strategies were seen everywhere. Pawar saheb’s sidekicks like Raut had started boasting in private and in public that Pawar Saheb, an octogenarian, would be the trump card to topple the Modi government in no time.

An atmosphere had been created that the MVA would come to power in the state after the 2024 elections and that whoever Pawar saheb chose would become the Chief Minister. It was openly declared that Saheb had kept planes and helicopters ready on the eve of the results to bring his MLAs to Mumbai. The MVA was overconfident of its victory. But the “Parivar” was united in the Assembly elections and its joint efforts paid off in the form of a record breaking victory for Mahayuti. Since then, Pawar saheb’s frustration has been visible on several occasions. His frustration was evident in demands such as a re-poll in Markadwadi and in raising doubts about the government machinery and the electoral rolls. Those who had seen Saheb as a fighter in the 1980s could not digest this whining Saheb.

During the municipal elections, Kaka did not even visit Baramati and even his daughter remained quiet in all municipal elections, including in Baramati. There were discussions that Mr. Pawar had given his nephew a walkover. But it was hard to believe. An announcement on whether Saheb would stay with the MVA or contest separately had not been made even as the last date for filing nominations was around the corner. At that time, Pawar joined hands with Ajit dada’s party at several places and contested the elections.

At that point, Sanjay Raut’s arrogant remark that it would take a hundred lifetimes to understand Pawar kept coming back to mind. Just the other day, Supriya Sule went to the Congress Bhavan to seek its support in the Legislative Council elections and at the same time, Saheb declared support for Vikram Kakade of Ajit dada’s party. The same Congress had not fielded its own candidate just to ensure Saheb’s victory in Rajya Sabha. Pawar saheb often brushes aside the Congress leadership, but the Congress leadership still repeatedly bends before him.

The unrest among Saheb’s trusted lieutenants has grown tremendously after several futile attempts of a merger with Ajit dada’s party. Faced with the constant threat of these trusted lieutenants abandoning him, Saheb may have agreed to the proposal to align with the Congress. Mamata needs support in national politics. It is surprising to see a feisty leader like Mamata didi surrender after just one defeat. Even the Congress leadership needs support. So, all in all, what they call a “marriage of convenience” seems to be turning into reality.

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