Top NCP leaders, party workers implore Sharad Pawar to continue after he announces exit

The Nationalist Congress Party witnessed high drama after Sharad Pawar announced that he would soon step down as party president, during the release of his autobiography, 'Lok Mazha Sanghati' (people with me), in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The announcement was followed by a clamour from the top rung of NCP leaders that Pawar should continue as party chief. The NCP brass later in the evening met Sharad Pawar at his residence, where he reportedly told leaders that he needed 2-3 days to consider the request. The developments ultimately turned out to be a show of strength for Pawar, coming shortly after speculation that his nephew wanted to align with BJP.

"In the last 60 years, Maharashtra and all of you have been with me and given me a lot of love. I can never forget this. But the party's future needs to be decided. I have decided to appoint a committee to look into the issue of appointing a new party president," Pawar said, setting off turmoil in NCP.


Jayant Patil, Anil Deshmukh, Jitendra Awhad and others approached the stage and began sobbing while asking Pawar to reconsider the decision. Some others like Dhananjay Munde fell at Pawar's feet and asked him to reconsider the decision. The importance and emotional connect the NCP patriarch has with his party was evident. As the cadres and leaders continued to plead, Sharad Pawar left for his residence. The lower rung NCP leadership then asked Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and other leaders to pressure Pawar to take back his resignation.

Ajit Pawar-Praful Patel angle
Ajit Pawar initially told the cadres he would not be able to convince Pawar senior. As NCP workers thronged Sharad Pawar, his nephew told workers, "he wants to build a new leadership. Don't you want a new leadership should take over in his presence? The new president will work under his guidance. At some point of time, a decision has to be taken." Even Patel did not seem keen to pressure Pawar. However, after a while, Patel told the cadre that the leaders would meet their party chief and, "get the decision you want." Ajit too claimed that his uncle's decision to quit was not acceptable to him.

Ajit Pawar has been pushing for a tieup with BJP and seeking the leadership of the party unit. However, barring him, none of the other NCP leaders in the auditorium seemed ready to accept Pawar senior's decision. For several weeks, there have been reports that Pawar junior would take along a sizable section of NCP MLAs, were he to join a BJP-led coalition in Maharashtra. At least three NCP MLAs announced that they would endorse whatever decision Ajit Pawar took. In this context, political observers see Sharad Pawar's announcement, the resultant uproar in NCP and some district level leaders quitting in solidarity as the uncle demonstrating his clout to his nephew.