The core committee of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday passed a resolution rejecting Sharad Pawar's resignation as party chief. The committee has requested Pawar to continue to lead the party that he founded.
According to sources, top party leaders met in Mumbai today to decide on the new national president of the NCP, following Sharad Pawar's decision to step down from the post.
NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule were seen arriving at the party office in Mumbai to attend the meeting. The 18-member committee that met today comprised of Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, KK Sharma, Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Jitendra Awhad, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Jaidev Gaikwad, Narhari Jhirwal, Fauzia Khan, President, Nationalist Mahila Congress, Dheeraj Sharma, President Nationalist Youth Congress.
“The committee in today's meeting has passed a resolution unanimously. The resolution says that Sharad Pawar should continue as the national president. His decision to step down from the president's post has been opposed by everyone unanimously," Praful Patel told reporters.
Sharad Pawar stepped down as the NCP chief on May 2. The 82-year-old veteran politician said that he knew that the party workers would not have allowed him to step down. He spoke outside the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai, where his supporters had camped as they demanded him to continue as party chief. Pawar said that the sentiments of the party workers would not be ignored.
