'We are orphaned..., take back your decision": High drama in NCP over Sharad Pawar's shock resignation

Pawar, 82, announced his decision during the launch of his autobiography in Mumbai Tuesday afternoon. The announcement triggered loud protests by NCP workers and leaders, who demanded that Pawar withdraw his decision and stay on as party chief.

Mumbai: After veteran politician Sharad Pawar's decision to quit as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president, the party workers are in shock and have resorted to a sit-in urging the veteran politician to reverse his decision.

Pawar, 82, announced his decision during the launch of his autobiography in Mumbai Tuesday afternoon. The announcement triggered loud protests by NCP workers and leaders, who demanded that Pawar withdraw his decision and stay on as party chief. Emotional scenes were also witnessed as several party leaders, including MLA Jayant Patil, broke down following the surprise announcement.

"Workers across the country are not agreeing with this decision of Sharad Pawar. We have decided that we will continue to make efforts to change his mind. It is our decision that he will remain the National President of NCP till his last breath," Patil said. Similar views were shared by NCP leader Anil Bhaidas Patil.

Scores of party workers laid siege at the Y.B. Chavan Auditorium, blocking the 82-year-old leader and his wife Pratibha Pawar from leaving till he withdrew his decision. As the shellshocked top NCP leadership and hundreds of workers heard Pawar's speech and decision to sign off as the party charioteer after 24 years, many were seen breaking down, some unabashedly weeping, and most with moist eyes, unable to believe their ears.

Senior leaders like Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Fauzia Khan, Dr. Jitendra Awhad, Narhari Zirwal, Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Sunil Tatkare, Vidya Chavan, Dhananjay Munde, and others made fervent appeals, some 'begged' with folded hands, urging Pawar to reconsider and retract.

For nearly two hours, the agitated workers kept up a chant of slogans like "Take back your decision", "Sharad Pawar zindabad", "We need you, the country needs you", "We are orphaned", et al. They were in no mood to listen to Ajit Pawar or Patel, Sule or Deshmukh who pleaded that Pawar Saheb was in the auditorium since 11 a.m. and needed to go home.

"He has to have his meals at specified hours in view of his health needs...Please permit him to leave now... A delegation of senior leaders will meet him today itself and convey your sentiments afresh," appealed both Ajit Pawar and Patel separately. Unimpressed, many of the workers threatened to "quit from all their posts right now", some warned of "an indefinite sit-in", others gave an ultimatum of "indefinite hunger strike" till Pawar withdrew his decision.

The drama continued for almost two hours as Pawar and Pratibha sat and watched helplessly, without a sip of water or anything to eat, surrounded by emotional party leaders and workers from all over. Reports came in of strong reactions by NCP workers from Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Ahmednagar and other parts of the state, with hundreds of activists clamouring for Pawar to take back his decision.

Both Ajit Pawar and Patel took pains to convince the protesting workers to at least let the senior Pawar couple go home, eat and take rest, but they were in no mood to relent. Finally, with the help of senior leaders and his security personnel, the Pawar couple was guided out of the auditorium, as the workers let off thunderous roars of protests.

Outside the venue, scores of NCP workers, women and youth activists squatted or lay sprawled on the floor with a relay chant on an indefinite sit-in, and asking Pawar to continue as NCP chief, and when Sule tried to intervene, they barely allowed her to speak or listened to her pleas with folded hands. Supriya Sule along with several other party leaders tried to speak to the protesting party workers in the aftermath of the announcement.

During his announcement, Pawar assured party leaders that he was not retiring from public life and urged them to accept his decision. "Let us all work together, but accept my resignation," he said. Announcing his decision, Pawar said, "I cannot forget that Maharashtra and all of you have given me strong support and love in the last six decades. It's time for a new generation to guide the party and the direction it intends to take. I am recommending that a committee of NCP members should be formed to decide on the election of the vacancy in the president's post."