Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 11 : Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal said that the appointment of Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as the party's new working presidents was made in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Bhujbal added that since the elections were approaching, the NCP leaders Supriya Sule and Praful Patel were given extra responsibilities.
"They have been made the working presidents so that the election work and Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha work can be divided. They have been allotted more responsibilities on their shoulders because elections are near," he said.
The NCP leader added that this was done to handle the 2024 Lok Sabha election work.
On the foundation day of the NCP on Saturday, party supremo Sharad Pawar announced Praful Patel and Supriya Sule as the new working presidents of the party.
The Pawar patriarch appointed Sule not only as the working president of the NCP but also put her in charge of Maharashtra, presently handled by his nephew Ajit Pawar.
Senior leader Praful Patel too will be the working president along with Sule.
Pawar made the announcement while addressing party workers at the 25th Foundation Day of the party, which he had formed in 1999 along with P A Sangma.
Party leader Ajit Pawar was also present at the occasion.
Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar dismissed reports of his discontent regarding the appointment of Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as the party's working presidents, stating that he is happy with the party's decision.
"Some media reports that I am unhappy that the party did not give any responsibility to me is wrong. Our committee was formed at that time when Sharad Pawar resigned. Two decisions are to be taken at that time. The first was to request Sharad Pawar to withdraw his resignation and the second was to appoint Supriya Sule as a working President and it was suggested when the committee was formed. But the rest of the committee members said to focus on persuading Sharad Pawar to retract his resignation. Being in Democracy and respecting the majority, I decided to focus on the resignation issue, because new leadership has to be strengthened and enhanced," Pawar said while talking to the reporters here.
He further said that he is interested mainly in state politics.
"I am the Opposition leader of Maharashtra and party leader at the state level. My interests are at the state level and Supriya is doing well in national politics," he said.
Sharad Pawar had last month resigned as the NCP president. He had subsequently withdrawn his decision after NCP's committee on May 5 passed a resolution rejecting his resignation and requested him to continue to lead the party that he founded.
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