Mumbai, Feb. 17 -- After being unanimously elected as the national president of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has instructed its MLAs to avoid speaking in public about the issue of a merger of the two NCPs, sources said today.

Ms Pawar was elected unopposed as the national president of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at a meeting late last evening, after senior party leader Praful Patel proposed her name, sources said.

Accordingly, Ms Pawar will take official charge at the NCP executive meeting which has been convened on February 26, sources said.

Meanwhile, the top leadership of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has instructed its MLAs to avoid speaking in pub...