LIVE | Sharad Pawar: I am the president of NCP; still 'active, effective'

The Nationalist Congress Party (NPC) President Sharad Pawar on Thursday (July 6) said age was not a factor for him as he remained “active and effective” in politics. He also asserted that he is the president of his party and he would present his case before the Election Commission (EC).

Sharad Pawar, after meeting NCP leaders of his faction, said, “I am the president of the NCP. Any statement, issued by anyone, to the contrary, has no truth or basis. We will present our case before the Election Commission. I am the president of the NCP and the party name and symbol will remain with me. I am still active and effective, it doesn’t matter whether I am 82 years old or 92 years old.”

He was responding to calls by his nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s dig, asking him to retire from politics as he was 82 years old.

Also read: Maharashtra NCP crisis: Will Sharad Pawar win the war to reclaim his party?

Earlier developments in Maharashtra NCP crisis

Earlier, NCP’s rebel leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday (July 5) said he aspired to become the chief minister of the state.

The rebel leader appeared to be ahead in the numbers game for control of the NCP after its vertical split.

The factional fight of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) reached the doorstep of the Election Commission (EC), with the group led by Ajit Pawar filing over 40 affidavits of MLAs and MPs in his support.

Also read: Can Sharad Pawar, master of political manoeuvring, save NCP from brink of collapse?

Quoting sources, ANI said Ajit was moving EC, staking claim for the NCP symbol. The EC had registered a dispute case in NCP, and a notice was to be issued to Sharad Pawar to respond to Ajit Pawar’s plea, media reports said.

It has emerged that the EC was informed through an affidavit that Ajit Pawar was elected NCP chief through a resolution dated June 30, 2023 signed by an “overwhelming majority” of members of the party, both from the legislative and organisational wing.

Meanwhile, the chief ministerial ambition of Ajit Pawar, 63, is certain to unsettle Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose Sena-BJP coalition government completed one year last week.

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, a former chief minister, is also a deputy chief minister.

“I was sworn in deputy chief minister five times. It is a record but the vehicle stops there, doesn’t proceed further. I feel from the bottom of my heart that I should become pramukh (chief minister) of the state. I have some things which I want to implement and for that becoming pramukh (chief minister) is essential,” Ajit Pawar told a meeting convened by him at Mumbai Educational Trust (rpt Mumbai Educational Trust) in suburban Bandra.

As many as 32 of the 53 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs attended the meeting called by the Ajit Pawar group, while 18 MLAs were present at the conclave addressed by Sharad Pawar, sources in both factions said.

Addressing separate meetings, their first after the July 2 split in the 24-year-old party, Sharad Pawar criticised his nephew for joining the Shiv Sena-BJP government as they took jibes at each other over the octogenarian politician’s age and use of his photograph. Surrounded by NCP workers, including 32 of the party’s 53 MLAs, Ajit Pawar, who took oath as Deputy Chief Minister on July 2 along with eight other party leaders who also joined the government, suggested that his uncle should give way for the younger generation.

“You are 83, aren’t you going to stop?. Everybody has his innings. The most productive years are from 25 to 75 years. Give us your blessings and we will pray that you live a long life,” Ajit Pawar said. “For us, Saheb (Sharad Pawar) is a deity and we have deep respect for him. IAS officers retire at 60. Even in politics, BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.”

When he made the statement, the newly-inducted cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who is 75 years old and a key member of the Ajit Pawar camp, was present on the stage.

Watch: NCP break-up: Is the real Pawar twist yet to happen?

A statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Ajit Pawar-led faction also said that Praful Patel, who has deserted Sharad Pawar, continues to be the NCP working president. The NCP has also decided to appoint Ajit Pawar as the leader of its Legislative Party in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and this decision was also ratified by the resolution passed by an overwhelming majority of NCP MLAs, the statement said.

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