Sharad Pawar, often regarded as Maharashtra’s “wily old fox”, appears to have made his next political move. Sources have told India Today TV that the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar is likely to support the Narendra Modi government’s controversial delimitation bill. If this is confirmed, it would mark a departure from the Opposition’s united stance, as opposition parties had collectively voted against the bill during the previous Parliament session.
The development comes just hours after India Today TV reported that senior leaders from both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party—the Sharad Pawar-led faction and the other led by Sunetra Pawar, wife of Sharad Pawar’s late nephew Ajit Pawar—held separate late-night meetings with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The latest developments have reignited speculation about a possible reunion of the two NCP factions and the prospect of the party extending support to the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre in some capacity.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule neither confirmed nor denied the speculation but suggested that the party’s position would depend on the final version of the proposed legislation.
"If the government provides for a 50 per cent increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states and clearly explains how it will be implemented, we will support the bill," Sule said.
Her remarks are consistent with the party’s earlier position and reflect an assurance given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in April. During the parliamentary debate, Shah had indicated that the government was willing to amend the legislation to ensure a uniform 50 per cent increase in Lok Sabha seats for every state, while guaranteeing that no state would be adversely affected by the delimitation process.
"If the objection to this bill is the absence of a 50 per cent increase, then suspend the House for an hour and I will bring an official amendment," Shah had said in the Lok Sabha.
He further argued, "After a 50 per cent increase, their seats will rise to 195, which will account for 23.87 per cent of an 816-member House. No state will suffer any loss." However, the proposed amendment was not included in the final version of the bill.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 members and facilitate the implementation of women’s reservation, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on April 17.
Sule also addressed reports surrounding senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil’s meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, clarifying that it was an official meeting regarding action taken against one of the party’s municipal council presidents.
"Jayant Patil formally sought an appointment with the chief minister, travelled in his own vehicle, and returned the same way. There was nothing secretive about the meeting. If you want to know who else met the chief minister at his residence, you should ask him, not me," she said.
Political speculation intensified after senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram claimed on Tuesday that the BJP was attempting to secure the support of both the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and the DMK for the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill.
In a post on X, Chidambaram urged both regional parties not to back the legislation, arguing that delimitation based on the existing formula would unfairly penalise states that had successfully controlled population growth in line with the National Population Policy.
The government is expected to introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which begins on July 20.
