Emotions ran high after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar suddenly announced his decision to quit the top post as stunned workers protested one of them even threatened to kill himself while leaders broke down amid chorus that the octogenarian leader must revisit his move.
Pawar sprang a surprise by announcing his decision to quit as president of the party he founded and headed since 1999 when he left the Congress to chart his own political course.
I have three years left of Rajya Sabha membership, during which I will focus on issues related to Maharashtra and India, with a caveat of not taking any responsibility. After a long period of public life from May 1, 1960, to May 1, 2023, it is necessary to take a step back. Hence, I have decided to step down as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party, Pawar said.
Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil and his colleague Jitendra Awhad broke down after Pawar made those remarks, while party leaders Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal beseeched him and requested their chief not to relinquish the top post. Patil, Patel, Bhujbal, Awhad and their colleague Dilip Walse Patil in one voice said they will not accept Pawar’s decision. A few party functionaries even tendered their resignations on the spot to put pressure on the 82-year-old politician, while some workers suggested that a working president be appointed.