Pimpri, 5 (PCB)- Three days after Sharad Pawar resigned as NCP chief, a committee formed to pick a new president has thrown its lot behind their “Pawar saheb.” In effect, it means the committee has rejected the resignation of the party chief.
“The committee has at its meeting today passed a resolution rejecting the resignation of our party chief. The committee has unanimously elected him as the party president once again,” said senior leader Praful Patel. He was addressing reporters at a meeting at NCP headquarters at Y B Chavan centre in Mumbai on Friday.
Stating that the committee took into account the emotions of the party rank and file, Patel said,”Not just our party leaders, even top political leaders called up our party chief and urged him to remain the party president. Our party workers have already been pressing for his continuation in the office. The committee considered everyone’s views…we cannot ignore the emotions of the party workers.”
On May 2, Pawar had at a event for the release of the second edition of his book at announced that he was stepping down from the president’s post. After his announcement, shell shocked NCP leaders and workers mobbed him and urged him to withdraw his resignation. Only Ajit Pawar had supported the resignation. After this, NCP decided to form a committee of senior leaders to take a call on the resignation of the party chief. The committee gave its verdict today.
Praful Patel said,”Pawar saheb had taken the decision of stepping down without consulting the party leader. No one had any idea that he would announce such a decision at the book launch. It had shocked everyone in the party. We meet Pawar saheb several times and urged him to withdraw his resignation. He is a leader of stature and is held in high esteem.”
Patel said they would be going to Sharad Pawar’s residence at Silver Oak in Mumbai and giving him a copy of the resolution. “We would conveying him the resolution passed at the meeting and urge him to continue in office,” he said. The senior leaders then left for Pawar’s residence.
