Sharad Pawar says will step down as NCP chief, sparks protests

“Since the formation of the NCP in 1999, I have had the privilege of being elected as its president… This journey of being in public life, which began on May 1, 1960, has continued unabated for the past 63 years, having served Maharashtra and India in various capacities… I have three years left of Rajya Sabha membership, during which I will focus on issues related to Maharashtra and India, with a caveat of not taking any responsibility. After a long period of public life… it is necessary to take a step back. Hence, I have decided to step down as president of the NCP,” Pawar said.

NCP members on a hunger strike to protest Sharad Pawar’s decision to step down, in Thane on Tuesday. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi)

“I cannot forget that Maharashtra and all of you have given me support and love over the last six decades. It’s time for a new generation to guide the party and the direction it intends to take. I am recommending that a committee of NCP members should be formed to decide on the election to the president’s post,” he said.

Pawar’s announcement was followed by protests from party leaders and workers, who appealed to him to withdraw his resignation. While the party’s state unit president Jayant Patil and MLA Jitendra Awhad broke down, senior leaders Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal too refused to accept his decision.

As the party’s top brass made multiple requests to him to reconsider his decision, and NCP workers threatened to undertake mass resignations and indefinite fast, Pawar reiterated that he was only leaving the post, not “political and social work in public life”. Senior party leaders met Pawar later, but they were reportedly unable to convince him to withdraw his decision.

Following his announcement, several NCP leaders and workers rose to their feet and chanted slogans demanding that the NCP supremo reverse his decision.

Amid all this, senior MLA and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar sought to take charge as he supported the decision, and asked people not to get “emotional”. He said he had spoken to Sharad Pawar’s wife, and she had told him that he would not change his decision. “It was to happen someday. The new party president will get a chance to work and learn under Saheb. Even if he resigns, the party will be guided only by him,” said Ajit.

Later in the evening, it was Ajit who addressed the protesting supporters and sought to pacify them. “He has said that he has made his decision, but he will need two-three days to think it over on account of your insistence. But he will think it over only if the workers stop their protest,” he said, accompanied by party leaders Chhagan Bhujbal, Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar.

Workers surround Pawar at the podium requesting him to no give up the NCP chief post.

During the morning session, when the crowd asked Sule to address the gathering at one point, Ajit intervened and told her not to do so.

Pawar’s announcement comes a week after he said that “it is time to turn over the bread… to prevent it from getting charred”, while hinting at an organisational overhaul in the party. His statement was then seen as a move to counter Ajit, amid speculation that the latter would join hands with the BJP. Ajit has repeatedly denied any such move.

Meanwhile, the committee recommended by Sharad Pawar to decide on the election of the next party chief includes Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, K K Sharma, P C Chacko, Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Jitendra Awhad, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde and Jaydev Gaikwad. Fauzia Khan, president of the Nationalist Mahila Congress, Dheeraj Sharma, president of the Nationalist Youth Congress, and Sonia Duhan, president of the Nationalist Students’ Congress, are to be included as ex-officio members.