Mumbai: A committee of the Nationalist Congress Party will meet at 11 am in the present day to determine on who will head the NCP subsequent, days after social gathering chief Sharad Pawar introduced that he could be stepping down from the highest place. The committee was arrange by 82-year-old Pawar to choose his successor and it contains Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, former Union chief Parful Patel and Bhujbal.
Pawar on Thursday mentioned his determination to step down from the put up was taken for the way forward for the social gathering and to create a brand new management amid continued demand from social gathering staff that he reconsiders his determination.
NCP leaders, on situation of anonymity, mentioned Baramati Lok Sabha MP and Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule is prone to be the social gathering’s nationwide chief whereas Ajit Pawar will take cost of the Maharashtra unit.
As per social gathering leaders, the mantle of NCP chief is prone to stay inside the Pawar household as giving the reins to somebody from exterior might result in rifts and energy tussles within the outfit fashioned in 1999. These leaders asserted Sule, a three-term LS MP, had established herself as an efficient parliamentarian and has contacts with leaders of events throughout the political spectrum, whereas Ajit Pawar has a very good maintain over the state unit and is broadly acknowledged as an in a position administrator.
Moreover, these leaders added that Ajit Pawar had just lately spoken about his chief ministerial desires, whereas Sule has at all times mentioned nationwide politics pursuits her. Incidentally, senior NCP chief and former state minister Chhagan Bhujbal had mentioned Sule ought to take up the social gathering’s nationwide mantle and Ajit Pawar should head the state unit, although the MLA from Yeola in Nashik was fast so as to add that this was his private opinion.
Speaking exterior the Y B Chavan Centre within the metropolis, the place his supporters have been tenting to demand his continuation because the social gathering chief, Pawar mentioned on Thursday he would take a closing determination within the subsequent couple of days and the emotions of social gathering staff is not going to be ignored.
“I respect your sentiments. I should have discussed my plans with all of you and taken you into confidence. But I know you wouldn’t have allowed me to take the decision (of stepping down as party chief),” the previous Union minister informed his supporters.
He mentioned some social gathering colleagues from exterior Maharashtra will meet him on Friday to debate the difficulty. “I will take a final decision in one or two days,” Pawar mentioned. As feelings ran excessive amongst his supporters, Pawar tried to pacify them exterior the YB Chavan Centre. The social gathering cadres gathered on the place urged Pawar to nominate a working president of the social gathering, whereas he himself ought to proceed within the put up.
Some of them mentioned Pawar ought to helm the social gathering at the least until 2024 because the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are due, whereas others mentioned if he didn’t rethink his determination, they might resort to a starvation strike.
Pawar on Tuesday sprang a shock by saying his determination to give up as president of the social gathering he based and headed since 1999 when he left the Congress to chart his personal political course. The announcement, made at an occasion, stumped leaders and staff of the 24-year-old social gathering. Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP and one of many stalwarts of the Opposition, had mentioned he was stepping down as NCP chief however was not retiring from public life.
The announcement got here amid hypothesis that Ajit Pawar and a few MLAs might be a part of fingers with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, although the previous deputy chief minister has refuted such speak by claiming he might be with the NCP until he’s alive.
According to social gathering sources, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin of the DMK spoke to Sule over cellphone to investigate about developments within the NCP following Tuesday’s announcement.
While Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Congress have maintained the developments within the NCP is not going to have an effect on the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes the three events, political observers mentioned lots would depend upon what Ajit Pawar does after the Supreme Court verdict, seemingly in a few days, on petitions associated to the toppling of the Thackeray authorities in June final 12 months.
These observers additionally added Ajit Pawar was unlikely to modify sides as developments since Tuesday have proven the NCP was firmly with Sharad Pawar and the previous was unlikely to get the numbers to successfully cut up the social gathering.
Speaking on the way forward for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Maharashtra Congress vp Ratnakar Mahajan mentioned the present state of affairs was “complex and unpredictable”. “But, all the three constituents of the MVA would stay together in the light of results of recent polls,” Mahajan mentioned.
