NEW DELHI: Speculation over a possible reunion of the Nationalist Congress Party’s two factions resurfaced on Thursday after senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal made fresh remarks on the issue, days after Sharad Pawar dismissed reports of a merger.Speaking to reporters during a visit to Pune, the Maharashtra minister was asked whether the rival NCP factions could come together. Responding to the question, Bhujbal said the decision rested with party president Sunetra Pawar and suggested there was little point in debating the matter until the leadership took a call.“Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar is the (NCP) president, and a decision will be taken under her guidance. It is the media that fuels such speculation, so there is no point in discussing it. It will happen when it has to happen. Political leaders do meet one another on various issues. In democracy, dialogue should always happen.”His comments came two days after NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar rejected speculation over a possible merger of the two factions. Asked about the buzz by reporters on Tuesday, Pawar replied, “It has no relevance.”Bhujbal was in Pune to review the ongoing work at Bhidewada, the site where social reformers Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule started India’s first school for girls.After meeting officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation, the minister said the government wanted to preserve the legacy of Phule Wada and make its history accessible to students.
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“…We want to showcase the history of Phule Wada to students. Rs 200 crore have been allocated for the expansion of Phule Wada. The chief minister has held meetings on the issue, but the work has not been completed in a satisfactory manner. We are ready to provide the land and we have completed all the necessary work,” he said.Phule Wada, the former residence of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule, is now a protected state heritage site and museum that commemorates their pioneering work in women’s education and the fight against caste discrimination.
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