Mumbai: Two days after announcing to step down as the party chief, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Thursday visited the Y B Chavan Centre to meet NCP functionaries for the second consecutive day while the party committee to decide on Sharad Pawar's successor will meet on Friday.
Sharad Pawar visited the Y B Chavan Centre to meet party workers and leaders during the day. The 82-year-old veteran Maratha leaders on Tuesday dropped a bombshell saying that he is stepping down as chief of the NCP which he founded and helmed since 1999. Pawar said that he is not retiring from public life.
Following Sharad Pawar's announcement, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said that his uncle will need two to three days to "think over" his decision. NCP's national vice president Praful Patel on Wednesday said there is “no question” of picking Sharad Pawar's successor as the party chief until there is a final decision on his announcement to quit the post.
Meanwhile NCP sources said that the committee formed by Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar to pick his successor will meet on Friday. Sources said that the meeting will take place at 11 am at the party office in south Mumbai. The committee members include Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, his nephew Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, among others.
The meeting of the committee gains significance as Sharad Pawar has not relented despite repeated appeals from NCP leaders and supporters that he withdraw his decision to step down. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin spoke to Sule over phone to enquire about developments in the NCP after Sharad Pawar's announcement to quit as its chief.
