2 min readMumbaiUpdated: Nov 7, 2026 07:28 PM ISTRajya Sabha MP and NCP leader Parth Pawar. (Express file photo)Parth Pawar, son of late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, on Saturday visited his grandfather and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence Silver Oak in Mumbai, shortly after the veteran leader was discharged from Breach Candy Hospital.Several senior NCP (SP) leaders, including MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Jayant Patil, state president Shashikant Shinde and former minister Anil Deshmukh, were also present at Silver Oak.The visit comes amid renewed speculation about a possible merger of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which split in July 2023 after Ajit Pawar and several senior leaders joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government.The latest developments follow a meeting between NCP working president Praful Patel and Sharad Pawar at Breach Candy Hospital on November 5. A video of their conversation showed the two agreeing to meet again after November 10. The interaction triggered speculation about discussions on bringing the two factions together.Adding to the speculation, Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare on Friday acknowledged that merger discussions had taken place when Ajit Pawar was alive. He said the merger would have been formalised on February 12 had Ajit Pawar not died in a plane crash on January 28.The developments come against the backdrop of reported differences within the ruling NCP. Patel, Tatkare and other senior leaders of the party recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi without party president Sunetra Pawar and her sons Parth and Jay. The meeting fuelled speculation about discontent among senior leaders over the party’s functioning and Parth’s growing influence.Sharad Pawar was discharged from Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday after treatment for a chest and respiratory infection. He was admitted to Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic on November 2 and discharged on November 4, before being admitted to a Mumbai hospital the same day.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdVallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an a... Read More Tags:Nationalist Congress Partyparth pawarAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement