15 July,2026 01:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Supriya Sule said the INDIA bloc would collectively deliberate on the Bill before taking a final stand. Pic/X
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president Supriya Sule on Wednesday rejected speculation about any backchannel talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that recent meetings between party leaders and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were official and issue-based.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Sule said the NCP (SP) would formulate its position on the proposed delimitation exercise only after the Centre introduces the legislation in Parliament. She added that the INDIA bloc would collectively deliberate on the Bill before taking a final stand.
Sule dismissed political speculation surrounding senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil's meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence, Varsha.
According to her, Patil had sought an appointment with the Chief Minister to discuss action taken against an NCP (SP) municipal council president and there was nothing unusual about the meeting.
"Jayant Patil officially sought time from the chief minister, went in his car and returned in his car. There was nothing secretive about the meeting. If you want to know who else met the chief minister at his residence, you should ask the chief minister, not me," she said.
The meeting had triggered speculation after leaders from both the ruling NCP and the Opposition NCP (SP) separately met Fadnavis late on Tuesday.
Responding to reports suggesting that the NCP (SP) could join the ruling alliance, Sule described such claims as speculative.
"The chief minister alone decides who gets which portfolio. All these reports about the finance department or meetings at Varsha are speculative. Only the chief minister can answer such questions," she said.
She also urged people not to interpret every political or personal interaction as part of a larger political strategy.
"My breakfast yesterday was with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the 'One Nation, One Election' meeting. Later, I met MPs Dimple Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav because we share family relations. Every meeting should not be interpreted as political plotting," she said.
On the proposed delimitation exercise, Sule said the Opposition alliance had not received any formal proposal from the Centre and would decide its position only after the Bill is introduced.
"We have not received any proposal on delimitation. Once the bill comes, we will discuss it in detail within the INDIA alliance. We had earlier demanded the formula in writing. We cannot comment without seeing the legislation," she said.
She reiterated that the INDIA bloc would take a collective decision after examining the proposed legislation.
"... We have neither held discussions with anyone regarding delimitation, nor has anyone approached us about it. We will formulate our stance once the bill is introduced. However, we will discuss any upcoming bill in detail within the INDIA alliance... Parties like the DMK, SP, and ourselves had stated that we would consider the 50% quota issue... The INDIA alliance did not demand the delimitation; we demand that 33% reservation for women should be implemented... During the previous Budget Session, Kiren Rijiju had invited Asaduddin Owaisi, me, and Arvind Sawant. He was inviting parties individually, and we met with the country's Home Minister, Amit Shah and Kiren Rijiju... Under Mallikarjun Kharge's leadership, we wrote to Amit Shah requesting that they invite us all together..."
Sule also cautioned that any delimitation exercise should strictly follow constitutional and legal provisions rather than political considerations.
Sule dismissed rumours of divisions within her party and asserted that all elected representatives remain united under the leadership of Sharad Pawar.
"I don't have so much spare time to indulge in gossip. I don't believe in sources, I believe in reality. Let me reassure you that all 8 MPs of NCP(SP) and all our MLAs, we stick together. Whatever decisions we will be taking... please understand NCP(SP) is a party where Sharad Pawar not only leads it, he invests in everybody and he listens. His biggest strength as a leader is that he is an amazing listener."
She also recalled that her late brother Ajit Pawar had favoured dialogue between the two NCP factions.
"Till my brother (Ajit Pawar) was alive... was there dialogue... 100 per cent. Was it my brother's last wish for all of us to come together? Yes, it was. It was my brother's last wish for both the NCPs to work together and be together. Unfortunately, my brother passed away."
Sule said she would attend the INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi on July 19 and the all-party meeting convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on July 20 ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
She said the NCP (SP) would seek discussions on the country's water crisis, farmers' issues and the Centre's economic strategy in light of the evolving global situation.
The Baramati MP also demanded an impartial investigation into alleged irregularities in the Ladki Bahin scheme and expressed concern over allegations of corruption in the Ram temple project in Ayodhya.
Reiterating the Opposition alliance's approach, Sule said the INDIA bloc would take a collective position on important national legislation only after detailed consultations.
"This is a very important bill for the country, and we will decide together what is in the national interest," she said.
