Mumbai:The two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will be reuniting and a formal announcement is expected in the second week of February - after the local body elections, sources told NDTV.

According to senior leaders from both factions, Ajit Pawar - who died in a plane crash on Wednesday - had paved the way for the merger and held several meetings with uncle Sharad Pawar in December and January.

The two leaders were scheduled to formally announce the merger through a joint press conference after the local body elections.Leaders of both factions are expected to meet next week to finalise the merger, sources added.

Sources, however, said that some leaders from the NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction do not want an immediate merger as they believe it is being used for "political gain". While those from the Sharad Pawar faction are seeking an immediate merger.

Sunetra Pawar's role is crucial in the merger process, sources added.Sources said that apart from Sharad Pawar, there are three more frontrunners who are likely to lead the merged NCP - Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar, Supriya Sule, and Praful Patel.

Source:Ndtv