Eleven days after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar appointed the party’s senior leader Praful Patel and his daughter-MP Supriya Sule as the party’s working presidents, a sidelined NCP leader and his nephew, Ajit Pawar, said here on Wednesday that he had no interest in continuing as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly. Instead, he preferred to accept any responsibility within the party.
Speaking at a function organised to mark the NCP’s 25th foundation day, Ajit told the party leadership, “I am not interested in continuing in the post of the leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly. Relieve me of the Opposition leader’s post and give me any post in the party. I will do justice to the party’s post.”
Ajit’s statement, which came as a surprise to Sharad Pawar and other party leaders, is being interpreted in State political circles in two ways. First, through his statement, he wanted to express his dissatisfaction over the manner in which he was sidelined by the NCP chief in the organisational restructuring that took place on June 10, the day when the NCP entered its 25th year of existence.
Secondly, by requesting any post, Ajit has sent a message to the party leadership that he should be considered for the State party president’s position, replacing Jayant Patil, who has been the State NCP president for the past five years. Patil has continued in the state party chief’s role despite a stipulation in the NCP’s constitution that no leader holding a party post should be replaced after a tenure of three years.
Despite speculation that he is angling for the State party chief’s position, informed party sources have stated that Ajitdada has not taken kindly to the manner in which he was ignored by the NCP chief in the organizational reshuffle that the latter undertook on June 10.
It may be recalled that after appointing Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as the party’s working presidents and assigning other leaders with various party responsibilities, the NCP tried to downplay the decision of not giving any organisational post or responsibility to Ajit.
Sharad had said Ajit already had the responsibility of being the LoP.