Sharad Pawar Withdraws His Resignation As NCP President

Mumbai: After top party leaders rejected his resignation amid emotional protests from the party cadre in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar today announced he would stay on as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

“I can’t belittle your feelings. Because of your love, I am adhering to the top NCP leaders’ determination and their request that I rescind my resignation.” After the NCP panel he chose to choose his successor rejected his resignation, the seasoned leader announced, “I withdraw my decision to step down as the national president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)”.

He established an 18-person panel to select the new national president of the party. Who would succeed the current NCP chairman was expected to be decided by the NCP panel.

Earlier on Tuesday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar had declared his resignation from the post of party head. “I am resigning from the post of the national president of NCP,” he said in a statement.

He declared his resignation at the launch of the second edition of his autobiography Lok Maze Sangati. “I have three years’ tenure remaining in Rajya Sabha. I will not contest elections henceforth. In these three years, I will concentrate more on issues concerning the state and the country. I will not take any additional responsibilities… One must not be greedy,” he said.

Sharad Pawar is a four-time Maharashtra chief minister. He has also served as Union Defence and Agriculture minister. He was the catalyst in bringing together an unlikely coalition of the NCP, Congress, and then ideologically opposite Shiv Sena to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.