Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) patriarch Sharad Pawar has stepped down as the party’s chief after leading it for more than two decades since its formation in 1999.
Pawar said he won't contest any more elections. He has three years tenure remaining in Rajya Sabha.
Several NCP leaders protested against his decision to quit as NCP chief. NCP leader Jayant Patil said, "We will continue to make efforts to change his mind."
Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar said former NCP chief had made up his mind and was to inform party workers on May 1 but he could not do so since there was a MVA rally.
Ajit added that "Pawar Saheb will always be the head of the NCP family and "won't take back" his decision.
Pawar clarified that he would not retire from active politics and would continue to work for the people of Maharashtra and India.
Pawar served as the chief minister of Maharashtra four times – in 1978, 1988, 1993 and 1994. He also served as the Union Defence minister and Agriculture minister.
Though Pawar has not revealed any specific reason for his resignation, the announcement comes amid the speculations of his nephew Ajit Pawar, who sways a significant influence among the party leaders, cosying up to the BJP.
Born on December 12, 1940, in Baramati, Maharashtra, Pawar’s political career spans over six decades. He started his political journey in the 1960s as a member of the Congress party’s youth wing.
He was first elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1967 from the Baramati constituency at the age of 26. Pawar went on to become the youngest CM of Maharashtra at the age of 38.
He was instrumental in the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party in 1999, along with PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar after they were expelled from the Indian National Congress.
In 2019, Pawar played a crucial role in building an alliance among the NCP, Congress and the Shiv Sena to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra.
In his autobiography titled ‘Lok Majhe Sangti’, Sharad Pawar has revealed his shock at learning about his nephew, Ajit Pawar, taking oath with the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis in 2019.