'I Am Still Effective, Whether 82 Or 92': Sharad Pawar Says He Is NCP President

NCP national executive meeting was held after rebel party leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar approached the Election Commission and staked claim to the party name and poll symbol.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar

Source : PTI File Photo

New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said the national executive meeting helped boost the morale of the party and asserted that he is still the party president. "I am still effective, whether I am 82 or 92. Today's meeting helped boost our morale," ANI quoted Pawar as saying. Addressing the media after the party's national executive meeting in Delhi, Pawar said, "I am the president of NCP, if someone says (that he is the president) then it is completely false, there's no truth in it. There's no importance if someone (Ajit Pawar) says something."

#WATCH | I am the president of NCP, says Sharad Pawar, in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/v8uVuKkOxs

— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2023

"We believe in Election Commission of India, if we have to say something then we will go to ECI," he added.

The Working Committee of the NCP has passed eight resolutions and expressed its full faith in party chief Sharad Pawar, PC Chacko said after the national executive meeting. The meeting was held in Delhi after rebel party leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar approached the Election Commission and staked claim to the party name and poll symbol.

"Not a single of the 27 state committees of the party has said that they are not with Sharad Pawar. The Working Committee of the Nationalist Congress Party approved the decision of Sharad Pawar of expelling Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare and 9 MLAs who have joined hands with NDA," news agency ANI quoted Chacko as saying.

Ever since the junior Pawar broke the rank and file of the party last week, a series of barb trade has been taking place between the uncle and the nephew. Sharad Pawar's statement comes a day after Ajit Pawar took a dig at his age and said it is time for him to retire and pass on the baton to the younger generation.  

"You portrayed me as a villain in front of everyone. I still have deep respect for him (Sharad Pawar)...But you tell me, IAS officers retire at 60...even in politics - BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi...That allows the new generation to rise...You (Sharad Pawar) give us your blessings," Ajit Pawar had said.

"The other day, he went to YB Chavan memorial...I have also been there...but you are 83, aren't you going to stop? Give us your blessings and we will pray that you live a long life," he added.

On Thursday morning, the Sharad Pawar faction called Ajit Pawar, a “gaddar” (traitor) as it put a poster outside senior Pawar's Delhi residence. The poster was put up by senior Pawar faction outside his Delhi’s residence drawing a parallel between Ajit Pawar's move to take control of the party and the epic betrayal in blockbuster movie Baahubali, in which Katappa, the closest companion of the protagonist, stabs him from behind.

"The whole country is watching traitors hidden among one's own. The public won't forgive such fraud people," the poster read, with silhouettes from the Baahubali poster tweaked to make the figures resemble Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. The poster, put up by NCP's student wing, does not name anyone and mentions "gaddar" — meaning traitor — with a hashtag.  

On Wednesday, Sharad Pawar said that the NCP poll symbol of the clock will remain with him and no one can snatch it. This comment came after rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar approached the Election Commission and staked claim to the party name and poll symbol.