Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare stated that the decision on whether Sharad Pawar will join the NDA rests solely with him. Tatkare mentioned that discussions about joining the NDA occurred in 1999 when Sharad Pawar was expelled from Congress. He also noted that the NCP faction he leads is allied with Sharad Pawar's NCP for local elections but remains part of the BJP-led NDA. Tatkare clarified that local alliances, like contesting independently with BJP in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, are strategic and do not alter the NCP's overall stance.