MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Jitendra Awhad on Wednesday submitted his resignation from his post as the party’s general secretary, a day after party supremo Sharad Pawar announced his decision to step down as its president.
“I have resigned from my post of national general secretary and I have sent my resignation to Sharad Pawar Saheb. All office bearers of Thane NCP have also resigned after Pawar Saheb’s announcement”, Jitendra Awhad said.
On Tuesday, Pawar had said that he is stepping down as party chief, with the surprise announcement drawing emotional reactions from thousands of NCP leaders, workers and supporters who urged him to reconsider. Among those who urged Pawar to reconsider included Chhagan Bhujbal, Jitendra Awhad and Dilip Walse Patil.
Pawar, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Union minister, was seen as a key architect of moves towards opposition unity ahead of the 2024 electoral battle. Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar, who had earlier said that “Pawar Saheb himself had said about the necessity of change in guard a few days back”, later said that the NCP veteran will take two to three days to rethink his decision.
Sharad Pawar, who founded the NCP in 1999, has held the post of party chief for the past 24 years. The veteran politician, while announcing his decision, said he will not contest elections and had also recommended constitution of a committee of senior NCP leaders to decide on the future course of action.
The committee will include Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, PC Chacko, Narhari Zirwal, Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujabl, Dilip Walse-Patil, Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Jitendra Awhad, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Jaydev Gaikwad and chiefs of party frontal cells, he said.
“I have three-year tenure remaining in Rajya Sabha. I will not contest elections henceforth. In these three years, I will concentrate more on issues concerning to state and the country. I will not take any additional responsibilities. I started my political career on May 1, 1960. After this prolonged political career, one must think about stopping somewhere. One must not be greedy. I will never take the position of sticking to a post after so many years. Therefore, you might feel uneasy. But I have decided to retire from the post of the NCP chief”, Pawar said. (ANI)