Veteran leader Sharad Pawar on Friday took back his decision to resign as the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP), stating that he respected the “strong sentiments” his decision had evoked among party cadre and leaders across the country.
Addressing a press conference at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Mumbai, he said several Opposition leaders had urged him to reconsider his decision on the grounds that his presence was needed to unite like-minded forces in the country today. Earlier in the day, a party committee set up to chose his replacement also unanimously rejected Mr. Pawar’s decision. The panel included his daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, and nephew Ajit Pawar, Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra.
NCP workers celebrate after a committee set up to choose the new NCP chief rejected senior party leader Sharad Pawar’s decision to step down as party president outside party office in Mumbai on May 5, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI
An NCP leader, a close confidant of Mr. Pawar, told The Hindu that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, and Chief Ministers M.K. Stalin, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, K. Chandrashekar Rao were among those who spoke to the NCP patriarch. Apart from having a telephonic conversation with Mr. Pawar, Mr. Stalin took to Twitter and said the NCP chief’s continuance in the post was crucial towards strengthening the “secular alliance” across the country.
When questioned why Mr. Ajit Pawar was not present at the presser, Mr. Pawar laughed it off and said he was part of the party committee that rejected his decision to step aside and had accompanied State NCP chief Jayant Patil to inform him about it. “If anyone wishes to leave the party, no one can stop them…but there is no such situation within the NCP,” he said, alluding to speculation that his nephew was planning to take a section of party leaders with him and join the ruling Eknath Shinde-BJP government in the State.
Succession plan
While denying suggestions of a rift within the party, Mr. Pawar also rejected reports that there were plans afoot to appoint his daughter as party national president. “Even though I am continuing in the post of president, I am clear that there has to be a succession plan for any post. In future, I will focus on making organisational changes in the party by assigning new responsibilities and creating new leadership,” he said.
The veteran leader stressed that the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance was in no way affected by this episode and that the three parties [NCP, Sena (UBT) and Congress] would work towards giving the people of Maharashtra an alternative.
There was palpable tension in the morning outside the NCP party office prior to the committee’s meeting with hundreds of party workers continuing their protests urging Mr. Pawar to take back his decision.
An NCP worker poured kerosene on himself but was stopped by others inside party headquarters. However, the tension gave way to jubilant scenes following the committee’s resolution and Mr. Pawar’s decision to remain in the party’s top post.
