India, Feb. 17 -- As calls mount for a merger of the two NCP factions, the party leadership has issued a gag order on its legislators, making it clear that reunification is off the table, for now. The directive was issued at a meeting of MLAs at 'Devgiri', the official residence of deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar on Monday.

Also on Monday, the party formally decided to elect Pawar as the next NCP president, following the death of her husband and party chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28. The decision, taken at a core committee meeting of the party, was supported by all the MLAs through a show of hands.

NCP working president Praful Patel said later that the election will take place in Mumbai on February 26, and that Pawar...