‘82 or 92…still effective’: Sharad Pawar after nephew Ajit's retirement jab

A day after nephew Ajit Pawar's ‘retirement’ jab at his uncle Sharad Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo on Thursday said that whether he is 82 or 92, he will be “still effective”. Speaking after the party's Working Committee meeting which approved the decision to expel Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and nine others who joined hands with Eknath Shinde government recently, Pawar also asserted that he is “still the President of NCP”.

Also read: Pawar's grandnephew on Ajit's ‘retirement’ dig: ‘Parties are run by workers'

Creating a further rift in the Sharad Pawar-led party, Ajit - who recently took oath as the deputy CM of Maharashtra - on Wednesday said,
"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."

He added, “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.”

Also read: Ajit Pawar moves Election Commission for NCP name, symbol

Meanwhile, Supriya Sule also hit out at her cousin Ajit saying, “Pawar Saheb in not only my father. He is the father of all NCP workers. Attack whoever you want but not my father. Cyrus Poonawalla of Serum Institute is 82 and still working... Amitabh Bachchan is 80 and still working. Ratan Tata is three years older than Saheb and leading the country's largest group.”

NCP's eight resolutions

After the meeting chaired by Sharad Pawar, NCP leader P C Chacko said that the party has passed eight resolutions. "NCP Working Committee approves decision to expel Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and nine who joined hands with NDA. Sharad Pawar was elected national president. We don't take seriously claims of someone being national president.Our organisation still intact and we are with Sharad Pawar," Chacko asserted.