NCP likely to promote OBC face as leader of opposition

“Earlier, in Congress, the party president and legislative leader used to be from different communities. In BJP, its president Chandrashekhar Bawankule is OBC. In Congress, Nana Patole is an OBC. We talk about OBC empowerment and, therefore, we should ensure that OBC members are given responsibilities. We have many OBC members within the party and giving one of them any responsibility would help connect with more than 50 per cent OBCs to the party,” said Bhujbal.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said that he wanted to give up the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and wants to work in the party organisation. “I have worked for many years in the party. I have worked on many posts. The post of Opposition leader is not what I had demanded. It was on insistence by party MLAs that I chose the position… but now I want to give up the leader of Opposition post,” Ajit Pawar said.

On Wednesday, while addressing the NCP’s foundation day programme at Shanmukhananda Hall, which was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders, Ajit Pawar mentioned that present state unit chief Jayant Patil held the post for five years and one month.

Ajit Pawar’s demand is seen as his claim to the state president’s post. His resignation from the LoP post would mean that the party will have to find a new face there. “In several instances, Bhujbal has said what Sharad Pawar would do next. There is a possibility that the party will get an OBC face in the legislature and LoP post,” said a senior party leader.

Apart from Bhujbal, senior OBC leaders in the legislative party include former ministers Dhananjay Munde and Jitendra Awhad. Munde has been the LoP legislative council during 2014-’19, while Awhad is known as one of the most trusted aides of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.