New Delhi: A day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar announced that he will step down as party president, it has been learned that NCP leaders Praful Patel and Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule are the leading contenders for the position of the new National President of NCP.
Both leaders have good experience in national politics, sources told ABP Live.
This development puts an end to the speculation that Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar's nephew, is the frontrunner for assuming the position.
Praful Patel is one of the senior leaders of the party and a close confidante of Pawar, while Supriya Sule is also a senior leader and three-time MP from Baramati.
On Tuesday, Pawar said, "After a long period of public life from May 1, 1960, to May 1, 2023, it is necessary to take a step back. Hence, I have decided to step down as President of the Nationalist Congress Party."
Immediately after Pawar's announcement at the launch of his autobiography, NCP workers across Maharashtra launched protests urging him to reconsider his decision. An NCP worker reportedly even wrote a letter to the NCP founder in blood, requesting him to roll back his decision.
As the day progressed and the demand of the NCP workers intensified, Ajit Pawar told them: "We told him [Sharad Pawar] that workers are quite upset. We also told him that party workers want him to remain the party president along with having a working president. He said he will rethink his decision and requires 2-3 days."
While announcing his decision, Pawar had recommended that a committee of NCP members be formed to decide who the next president of the party will be.