Meanwhile, senior party leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Sunil Tatkare met Sunetra for leadership talks. Sunetra Pawar, who is currently a Rajya Sabha MP, is likely to contest the Baramati seat vacated by her late husband, Ajit Pawar, if elections are called, signaling her electoral debut. Zirwal, who is a FDA Minister and a close confidant of Ajit Pawar, said it is people’s wish that Sunetra Pawar be inducted into the state ministry. NCP leader and former minister Nawab Malik emphasised that the final decision on the merger was to be taken by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP (SP). In July 2023, Ajit Pawar had joined the then-Eknath Shinde-led government, triggering a split in the NCP founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar.