BJP pushes NCP reunification with two Cabinet posts, NDA entry

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has proposed that the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) reunite and join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as a single party, rather than merging with the BJP, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

The BJP leadership has offered two Union Cabinet berths to balance power between the faction led by Sunetra Pawar and the one led by Sharad Pawar (NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar), if both agree to merge.

Sources said the BJP's top leadership wants to keep the NCP as a separate entity within the NDA. 'The leadership has objected to the idea of our allies merging with the BJP. Politically, the NCP remaining as a party will help us consolidate the non-Brahmin and Maratha votes in Maharashtra,' said an insider. The source added that the leadership is also cautious about not weakening the BJP's allies.

While preliminary discussions have taken place, the plan has not yet been finalised. The outcome depends on the ongoing power struggle within the NCP between Sunetra Pawar, the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, and veteran leaders.

Sunetra's elder son Parth, a Rajya Sabha MP, wants his mother to hold the finance portfolio in the Maharashtra government and the NCP national president post in the event of a merger. However, senior leaders such as NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, working president Praful Patel, and Chhagan Bhujbal want power-sharing to be more inclusive. 'There will be issues if they insist on having a Cabinet portfolio, the state finance ministry, and the national president post, as the other side (NCP-SP) is unlikely to agree,' said a source.

Bringing the NCP into the NDA would help the Narendra Modi government move closer to a two-thirds majority in Parliament, required to pass constitutional amendment bills such as the Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill. The government's attempt to pass these bills failed in a special session of the Lok Sabha in April.

Since then, 37 MPs from four Opposition parties have defected to the ruling side, the largest floor-crossing since the anti-defection law was enacted in 1985. With three vacancies, the current Lok Sabha strength is 540, making the two-thirds mark 360. In April, when 528 MPs voted, the government secured 298 votes against the Opposition's 230. The NDA now has 319 MPs; if the NCP (SP) supports the bills, the tally would reach 327, still 33 short. The BJP hopes to bridge the gap with support from other parties and abstentions.