‘We should give him a day or two’: Praful Patel on Sharad Pawar rethinking resignation

Nationalist Congress Party vice president Praful Patel on Wednesday said the party cadres should give Sharad Pawar time to reconsider his decision to quit as party chief.

“Sharad Pawar, yesterday, said again & again that there should be a generational change. Maybe he wanted a new generation to step forward. None of us knew about it beforehand...He has asked for some time & we should grant him that”, Patel said at a briefing.

"Some of our workers wanted him to withdraw his resignation. Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, I, Chhagan Bhujbal and others - we tried to speak to him today. We requested him again. But as I said, we should give him a day or two..," Patel added.

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...We'll tell you tomorrow if a need will arise to convene a meeting of that committee", the NCP vice-president said when asked about the committee announced by Pawar to pick his successor. The panel comprises senior leaders including top claimants, Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule and nephew Ajit.

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Pawar, 82, announced his decision to step down as party chief on Tuesday but said will continue to be active in politics. As pressure from colleagues and party workers mounted, the veteran leader said he will take two to three days to reconsider his decision.

Pawar, a four-time Maharashtra chief minister, has decided to quit as party chief amid reports of rebellion brewing within the ranks. There have been reports of legislators planning to leave the party along with Ajit Pawar to join the BJP in Maharashtra. “If he is not the president, it does not mean he is not in the party. He is looking to create new leadership... The new party chief will work under saheb’s leadership”, said Ajit, who is openly supporting the NCP patriarch's decision to step down.