Pawar has sought more time to consider NCP committee's resolution: Praful Patel

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar has sought more time to reconsider his decision to step down as party chief senior NCP leader Praful Patel said on FridayPatel and senior party leaders met Pawar at his Silver Oak residence in south Mumbai after a committee formed to choose his successor rejected his decision to step down as NCP chiefWe requested Sharad Pawar saheb to consider the NCP committees resolution which rejected his decision of stepping down as party chief He Pawar has asked for more time and will convey his decision Patel saidAlso Read In politics nothing happens by accident Sanjay Raut ahead of crucial NCP meetEarlier in the day the committee set up to choose the new Nationalist Congress Party chief rejected Pawars decision to step downThe committee has unanimously passed a resolution It unanimously rejects his decision to step down and urges him to continue as party president Patel said after a meeting of the committee Pawar himself had set up the committee including Ajit Pawar Supriya Sule Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal after he announced on May 2 that he would be resigning as NCP chiefWe will meet Pawar saheb with this resolution and request him to reconsider his decision Patel who is also the vice president and convenor of the committee told the media after the meetingPatel said the party and the country needs a leader like PawarPawar saheb is a respected leader in the country There was a strong response against Pawars decision The emotions cannot be ignored Patel saidAs the meeting was underway several NCP workers wearing caps with the message I am with saheb demanded that Pawar reconsider his decisionPawar on Tuesday sprang a surprise by announcing his decision to quit as president of the party he founded and headed since 1999 when he left the Congress to chart his own political courseThe announcement made at an event stumped leaders and workers of the 24yearold partyPawar a Rajya Sabha MP and one of the stalwarts of the Opposition had said he was stepping down as NCP chief but was not retiring from public lifeThe announcement came amid speculation that Ajit Pawar and some MLAs may join hands with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party though the former deputy chief minister has refuted such talk by claiming he will be with the NCP till he is aliveAccording to party sources Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin of the DMK spoke to Sule over phone to enquire about developments in the NCP following Tuesdays announcementWhile Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and Congress have maintained the developments in the NCP will not affect the Maha Vikas Aghadi which comprises the three parties political observers said a lot would depend on what Ajit Pawar does after the Supreme Court verdict likely in a couple of days on petitions related to the toppling of the Thackeray government in June last yearThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever