Weeks after the party plunged into a turmoil following his bid to resign as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar on Saturday, 10 June, announced that his daughter and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, and NCP leader Praful Patel will take over as the new working presidents of the party.
The announcement came on the 25th anniversary of the party, a month after he had offered to resign from the party presidency and later backtracked.
The announcement was made in the presence of his nephew and Maharashtra LoP Ajit Pawar who was considered to be one of the frontrunners for leading the party following Sharad Pawar's resignation bid.
Supriya Sule's Rise:
Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule started her journey in politics as Rajya Sabha MP in September 2006. She took over the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in 2009.
Over the years, Pawar groomed a number of young leaders, including his nephew Ajit Pawar, and state NCP chief Jayant Patil. However, it has not been clear who would take over the party.
Sharad Pawar's Resignation Bid Last Month
In May, Pawar, who is 80 years old and has been the NCP chief since 1999, said that he was stepping down to "give a chance to the younger generation".
However, his resignation announcement caused havoc among the party cadre. Amid pressure from party leaders and workers, he had said he would take 2-3 days to rethink his resignation.
Days after his resignation, he took back his decision to resign, saying that he respected the 'strong sentiments' his decision had fuelled among party cadre and leaders all over the country.
At a press conference, he said, "I can't disrespect your sentiments. Due to your love, I am respecting the demand that was made to me to withdraw my resignation and the resolution that was passed by senior NCP leaders. I withdraw my decision to step down as the national president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)."
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