Sharad Pawar to rethink resignation, says "need two-three days"

Mumbai: NCP leader Sharad Pawar, who earlier today announced the decision to step down from the position of party chief, said that he will rethink the decision.

His decision upset many party leaders and workers and some had begun to protest it. To pacify them, Pawar said he will need two to three days to "think over" his decision. His nephew Ajit Pawar also asked NCP functionaries not to resign from their posts in protest against the chief's surprise decision.

"We told him (Sharad Pawar) that the party workers are quite upset. We also told him that workers want him to remain the party president along with having a working president. He said he will rethink his decision which requires two-three days," said Ajit Pawar.

NCP leaders Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar along with several other leaders have been holding talks with protesting party workers.

Earlier today, during the launch of his autobiography, the four-time Maharashtra chief minister said that he will retire soon. However, he said he will remain active in the party as he has for the past 55 years.

Sharad Pawar founded the party in 1999 and has headed it since then. Pawar said that a committee will decide who will be his successor after his resignation.

Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra also expressed shock at his decision and said that Pawar's guidance is needed at this juncture. He was instrumental in the formation of the NCP, Congress, and Shiv Sena in 2019. After the announcement, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said Pawar has only resigned as NCP chief and hasn't retired from politics.

"Sharad Pawar is a competent leader. I think that due to age constraints & because of his health he thought to relinquish the present job. He has already selected his successor, and there are several leaders in NCP who are eligible to inherit his legacy but he is still the leader of the nation," said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said Sharad Pawar's decision is NCP's internal matter and BJP will be keeping an eye on the matter. "Pawar Sahib's decision is NCP's internal matter. It is his personal decision. He is a senior leader and he has decided something. Brainstorming over several issues is going on within his party. So, it will not be right for us to react to this. We will keep an eye on the situation and react after a day or two."