'I'm the president of NCP...82 or 92, I'm still effective': Sharad Pawar to nephew Ajit; Rahul Gandhi shows support

The NCP vs NCP row continues to create further ripples in Maharashtra politics with party supremo Ajit Pawar chairing the national executive meeting in Delhi on Thursday and responding to his nephew and rebel leader Ajit Pawar who had asked the veteran politician to step down and give way to the new leaders.

New Delhi:A day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar took a jibe at his uncle Sharad Pawar's age and asked the veteran politician to take a rest from politics, the NCP supremo on Thursday said that regardless of his age, he was still effective.

"82 or 92, I'm still effective," he said at a meeting of the party's national executive in Delhi. The senior Pawar also reiterated that he was the president of the NCP and truth will come out on Ajit Pawar's claim of majority of the MLAs backing him. "I am the president of NCP," the veteran leader asserted after a meeting of the party's Working Committee which approved the decision to expel Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and nine others who joined hands with NDA recently.

Briefing the media here, party leader P C Chacko said eight resolutions were passed in the meeting. Pawar also said the "truth will come out" on Ajit Pawar' claim of having majority. Chacko said the organisation was behind Pawar. "NCP Working Committee approves decision to expel Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and nine who joined hands with NDA. Sharad Pawar was elected national president. We don't take seriously claims of someone being national president.

"Our organisation still intact and we are with Sharad Pawar," Chacko asserted. He also said every three years, NCP holds elections and people are elected regularly. The resolutions passed by the working committee include a stand against the undemocratic and unconstitutional actions of the BJP government and the misuse of government agencies against the Opposition.

Meanwile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also met Sharad Pawar at the NCP president's residence in an apparent show of support to the veteran leader amid a rebellion in his party. Soon after Pawar addressed the media, Gandhi reached 6, Janpath, the official residence of the NCP veteran.

Ajit Pawar and eight of his colleagues joined the Eknath Shinde government on July 2. While Pawar was made deputy chief minister, the others were sworn in as ministers.