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On Sharad Pawar's resignation, nephew Ajit says veteran leader will…
Pawar announced a committee to pick his successor, which includes both claimants to his post- daughter Supriya Sule and nephew Ajit Pawar.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar has announced his decision to step down as party chief after helming it for 24 years. His resignation sparked protests by his party workers who urged the veteran leader to withdraw his decision. Now, his nephew Ajit Pawar has said Pawar will abide by a decision of the NCP committee on his resignation.
“Pawar Saheb himself had said about the necessity of change in guard a few days back. We should see his decision in the light of his age and health also. Everyone has to take a decision according to time, Pawar Saheb has taken a decision and he won't take it back”, he added.
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Pawar's decision to step down comes amid reports of rebellion within the party, withi his nephew Ajit Pawar in focus. Recently, he declared that his party is ready to stake claim for the chief minister's post at any point of time instead of waiting for the 2024 Maharashtra poll. In fact, flex banners projecting him as the future CM had also appeared in Dharashiv recently.
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The rumours of Ajit's next political moves grew louder recently after he suddenly cancelled his scheduled meetings and made comments seen as being soft on the Bharatiya Janata Party and chief minister Eknath Shinde's camp.
When asked about a possible rift within the party few days ago, Sharad Pawar had said, "If someone is trying to break away, then it is their strategy and they must be doing that". There have been reports of Ajit Pawar holding meetings with the MLAs in his support, but the veteran leader prevailed over the situation. Ajit Pawar gave statement asserting he will remain in the NCP as long as he lives.
In 2019, Ajit Pawar staged a midnight coup after he took oath as deputy chief minister in Devendra Fadnavis' short-lived coalition government. Sharad Pawar had then prevailed over the situation prompting the return of MLAs who had joined Ajit back to the party fold. Even Ajit Pawar had resigned from the deputy CM post after his coup failed.
