The National Congress Party will on Wednesday hold a crucial meeting in Delhi, days after Supriya Sule and Praful Patel were picked as the new working presidents by party chief Sharad Pawar. The decision, taken in the wake of 2024 Lok Sabha polls was announced in presence of Ajit Pawar, a key player in NCP on June 20. The development comes just a month after Pawar offered to resign from the presidency of the party, which was followed by fervent remonstrations from the party members as well as other political leaders.
An NCP panel formed to deliberate on Pawar's offer had on May 5 rejected his resignation and urged him to continue as the party president. NCP was founded by Pawar and PA Sangma in 1999.
Last month, Sharad Pawar had received a death threat and said if anyone thinks that one’s voice can be silenced by issuing threats, that person is under a “misconception”. He was speaking to reporters over the death threat sent to him on social media.
Pawar said he has complete faith in Maharashtra police. “Every citizen of the country has the freedom to express their opinion on any subject. However, if someone thinks that by issuing threats, one’s voice can be silenced, then it is his misconception,” said the veteran leader.
According to NCP, 82-year-old Pawar received a message on social media that read “he will meet the same fate as (Narendra) Dabholkar soon”. Narendra Dabholkar, who fought against superstitious beliefs, was shot dead by two bike-borne assailants during his morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013.
NCP is one of the parties that is included in the Opposition’s aim to take down the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Pawar attended the recently concluded meeting of the Opposition leaders which was organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna.
The meeting was attended by leaders from Congress party, TMC, National Conference among others.