Sharad Pawar steps down as party chief; Announces resignation

Sharad Pawar, the head of the NCP, announced his resignation as party leader on Tuesday. He won't retire from active politics though.

Pawar, who led the party since its inception in 1999, said, "I have three years left of Rajya Sabha membership in Parliament, 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 President of the Nationalist Congress Party"

According to Pawar, a committee would be established to decide who should hold the position of party chief. Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Jayant Patil, Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Chhagan Bhujbal, and others, according to him, should be senior members of the panel. The NCP members present in the auditorium requested that Pawar reverse his decision as soon as he made it, stating that they would not leave until he did.