Sharad Pawar's Resignation Rejected, Nephew Ajit, Top NCP Leaders at 'Silver Oak' Home

NCP’s national vice president Praful Patel on Friday announced that the party has unanimously rejected Sharad Pawar’s resignation as the outfit’s supremo. He added that the NCP will approach Pawar with the resolution and request him to continue as the chief.

“When we had gone to Punjab, even the farmers in the northern state had expressed their gratitude towards Pawar for his contributions,” said Patel in Mumbai, indicating Sharad Pawar’s popularity not just in Maharashtra, but across India.

As soon as the announcement was made, NCP workers burst firecrackers outside party office. Sharad’s nephew, Ajit Pawar, was also spotted arriving at party chief’s residence. Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, Jitendra Awhad and Praful Patel arrived at ‘Silver Oak’ too.

“We have conveyed the committee’s decision to Sharad Pawar. He said he needs two-three days to rethink his decision,” said Bhujbal.

Chhagan Bhujbal, NCP legislator and close aide of Sharad Pawar, earlier on Friday said that the Nationalist Congress Party supremo is the only option they’ll choose to lead the party. A group of NCP youth members also signed a proposal to suggest Sharad Pawar’s name as the NCP president.

The Nationalist Congress Party has been in a state of shock ever since Pawar suddenly announced his decision to step down as NCP president on May 2. Posters saying that “there’s no alternative to Sharad Pawar” have come up in Thane, in Mumbai’s neighbourhood.

Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin also requested Pawar to reconsider his decision ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Sharad Pawar’s Health

A report by Rediff.com quoted Bhujbal as saying that Pawar is “only on liquid diet” since the last two years. “He has a fierce will power; he has been a fighter all his life and even at this age his spirit is strong enough to take on any kind of adversity that comes his way,” the MLA from Nashik’s Yevla said.

Bhujbal further said that even at the age of 82, there is “lot of fighting spirit left” in him. “If my information is correct, he is on a political visit to Solapur district on May 6,” the MLA said.

“He refuses to be bogged down by the circumstances around him. He always prefers to be among the janata. I have been requesting him to withdraw himself from arduous tours but he is ten times more active than all of us. Listening to people, helping them solve their issues is like a tonic for him,” Bhujbal said.

Updates on NCP President Election

The 18-member committee formed by Sharad Pawar to name the new national president of the party met on Friday to decide the further course of action. Sources said that the panel rejected Pawar’s resignation. Party leader Praful Patel held a press conference to give out the details.

The NCP committee was tasked to deliberate on the demand that Pawar rethinks his decision and come up with a proposal to appoint a working president to assist him.

According to a PTI report, Sharad Pawar on Thursday said he decided to step down from the post for the future of the party and to give way to a new leadership. Meanwhile, party workers continued to demand that Pawar reconsider his decision, some even penned letters in blood. Senior NCP leaders also urged the veteran leader to lead the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

Speaking outside the Y B Chavan Centre in Mumbai, where his supporters have been camping to protest against his resignation as the party chief, Pawar said he would take a final decision in the coming days and ensure that the sentiments of party workers will not be ignored.

“I respect your sentiments. I should have discussed my plans with all of you and taken you into confidence. But I know you wouldn’t have allowed me to take the decision (of stepping down as party chief),” Pawar told his supporters.

Meanwhile, speaking exclusively to News18, senior NCP leader and former cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule should be made the National President.

“There is already a division of work in the party. Sule, who is a Member of Parliament, has good connect with other parties and leaders at the national level. Ajit Pawar is handling state politics. In my view, Sule should be made the National President and Ajit Pawar should be given the state affairs,” said Bhujbal.

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