Politics

In an unexpected political stunner, Sharad Pawar steps down as NCP chief; forms panel to name his successor

The NCP supremo announced a committee comprising top leaders to name his successor

May 2, 2023

Sharad Pawar quits as NCP chief; emotional party workers protest against the decision

On Tuesday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar announced that he was stepping down as party chief saying that he has formed a panel to name his successor.

Sharad Pawar, 82, made the announcement of his retirement during the release of his autobiography, ‘Lok Majhe Sangaayi – Political Autobiography‘.

However, Pawar said that he had three more years to go in Parliament, and assured that he would remain active in public life through social politics, as in the past over 55 years.

He announced a committee comprising top leaders like 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, Dr. Jitendra Awhad, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, and Jaydev Gaikwad, to name his successor.

Other ex-officio members are: NCP Mahila Congress President Fauzia Khan, NCP Youth Congress President Dheeraj Sharma NCP Student Congress President Sonia Duhan, which will decide on the new party president’s selection.

Pawar said, “I know when to stop… I have set up a committee of senior NCP leaders who will decide on the next president.”

Tracing his long political journey, Pawar said that it was on May 1, 1960, when Maharashtra was formed under the leadership of Yashwantrao Chavan, and the same day, that he joined the Pune City Youth Congress, as an active party worker.

“I am in-charge of many organizations like the Vasantdada Sugar Institute, which is doing research and expansion work in the sugarcane and sugar factories, I will pay more attention to this work from now on,” he said.

“I cannot forget that Maharashtra and all of you have given me strong support and love in 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 of the vacancy in the president’s post,” said Pawar in a tone of finality.

State and national political circles greeted Sharad Pawar’s decision to step down as party chief with shock, disbelief, many in tears, and vociferous calls asking him to withdraw his move.

State NCP President Jayant Patil broke down, other senior leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil Narhari Zirwal, and many more said the decision was ‘not acceptable,’ made fervent appeals and ‘begged’ with moist eyes to their ‘Supremo’ to retract, and many others even threatened to resign from their posts.

Senior leaders like Ajit Pawar, state party chief Jayant Patil, and others attempted to pacify the party workers and the lower-rung leaders and urged them to remain calm.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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