'No final decision yet': Bhujbal says NCP merger talks at preliminary stage

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday said there was no concrete decision on the proposed merger of the two NCP factions, with discussions still at a preliminary stage.The remarks came amid speculation about a possible merger between the NCP led by Sunetra Pawar and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP)."Both NCP factions coming together is a wish shared by many of us, but the question is how it can happen and who should take the initiative," Bhujbal said."There is no final decision yet. It is only discussions. We don't know what NCP (SP) wants," he added.The veteran NCP leader said any decision on the merger would require consultations with the party leadership and its allies in the BJP-led NDA. Bhujbal said the two factions had different political alignments, with one part of the BJP-led NDA and the other associated with the opposition INDIA bloc.