Sharad Pawar will take 2-3 days to rethink his decision of stepping down as NCP chief: Ajit Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said that Sharad Pawar has agreed to rethink on resignation from the party president's post.

Sharad Pawar stepping down as NCP chief has left parties across Maharashtra reeling. His nephew Ajit Pawar, who is also a party chief whip, subtly requested his 82-year-old uncle to reconsider the resignation.

Photo Credit: Sharad Pawar with his wife and party leader Ajit Pawar. PTI Photo

Speaking to reporters, his nephew Ajit Pawar said,''Sharad Pawar has agreed to rethink on resignation, says he needs 2-3 days.''

Springing a surprise, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he is stepping down as chief of the NCP, the political outfit he founded and has helmed since 1999.

Pawar made the announcement at the launch of a revised version of his Marathi autobiography 'Lok Majhe Sangati' (People Accompany Me), prompting protests by party workers and appeals by NCP leaders to revoke the decision.

Several party workers raised slogans demanding that Pawar withdraw his decision. While Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil and party leader Jitendra Awhad broke down after Pawar's announcement, party MP Praful Patel requested him to withdraw his decision. Pawar did not take anyone into confidence before announcing his resignation, Praful Patel said.

His decision came at a time when Pawar is seen as one of the leaders who could bring opposition parties together against the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.

While announcing his decision to quit as party chief, Pawar said he intended to do more in the fields of education, agriculture, cooperation and sports and culture among others and also pay attention to issues related to the youth, students, workers, Dalits, tribals and other weaker sections of society.

A four-time Maharashtra chief minister who also served as Union Defence and Agriculture minister, Pawar was instrumental in stitching together an unlikely coalition of the NCP, Congress and their ideological foe Shiv Sena to form the MVA government after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

(with PTI inputs)