Goyal says do not expect a merger of NCP factions after Ajit Pawar's death

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he did not expect the merger of two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions - each headed by Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash two days ago, and his uncle Sharad Pawar. He said that the NCP, as part of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, has performed very well. ''I personally do not see that will happen,'' he told PTI in an interview when asked his views on the talks of the merger of the two NCP factions. Goyal said that the NCP leadership ''was with Ajit Pawar and now with Sunetra Pawar Ji''. He added that Praful Patel has been appointed as the national president of the Nationalist Congress Party. ''I don't see Mr Sharad Pawar being invited to join the NCP, given that he has lost the people's trust and the vote,'' he added.