Sharad Pawar quits as NCP chief, sparks Ajit Pawar v Supriya Sule row?
Has Sharad Pawar’s resignation as the Nationalist Congress chief president triggered an all out war of succession between his daughter Supriya Sule and nephew Ajit Pawar?
The veteran leader’s decision to step down as the chief of the party he founded 24 years after being expelled from the Congress sent shockwaves among the party cadre. Several party workers raised slogans demanding that Pawar withdraw his decision. Some of them even broke down after hearing his decision.
NCP workers demanded that Sule speak to her father to reconsider his decision. But Ajit Pawar intervened and suggested to her cousin not to speak anything.
“I am her elder brother and that is why I am suggesting her this,” Ajit Pawar said.
“Pawar Saheb himself had said about the necessity of change in guard a few days back. We should see his decision in the light of his age and health also. Everyone has to take a decision according to time, Pawar Saheb has taken a decision and he won’t take it back”, ANI quoted him as saying.
There have been murmurs in the NCP over a purported rebellion within the party ranks. Ajit Pawar reportedly held meeting with MLAs in his support before his uncle managed to prevail over the situation. But the ambitious nephew has minced no words about his chief ministerial ambitions.
Recently, Ajit Pawar had said that the NCP is ready to stake claim to the chief minister’s post and does not have to wait till the 2024 Maharashtra election. Reacting to his remark, Sule had said there is nothing wrong to have ambition in politics.
“There is nothing wrong to have ambition or a dream in politics, everybody has it, so I don’t think there is anything wrong with saying openly about it. In fact, he is very honest in talking about his ambition,” the NCP leader had told ANI.
On April 19, Sule had hinted will be two ‘political’ blasts in the next 15 days, one in Delhi and another in Maharashtra. When asked about her brother, she had said,”What has happened is that for any development, my brother (Ajit Pawar) is held responsible. Everybody talks about a coin that is in demand in the market.”
Back in 2019, Ajit Pawar had attempted a coup when he took oath as the deputy chief minister in the short-lived government led by Devendra Fadnavis. Then, Sharad Pawar had managed to bring back the rebels including Ajit back into the fold.