New Delhi: Embattled Sharad Pawar on Thursday asserted he is the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and will work more effectively whether at the age of 82 or 92. Pawar chaired a meeting of the NCP Working Committee, which expressed faith in his leadership and endorsed his decision to expel Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare and eight other MLAs who joined the NDA ranks.
Senior NCP leader P C Chacko said 27 state units of the NCP endorsed the eight-point resolution passed by the Working Committee.
In a show of unity, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met 82-year-old Pawar at his residence and expressed full support to the NCP in its times of crisis after his nephew Ajit Pawar walked out with a large chunk of MLAs and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government.
This was the first meeting of a national leader with Pawar after the rebellion in the NCP on Sunday. Opposition leaders Sonia Gandhi, M K Stalin, Mamata Banerjee among others had made phone calls to Pawar and expressed solidarity.
“Question doesn’t arise about stopping. Now, I will work more effectively, whether 82 or 92 it doesn’t matter,” Pawar told reporters here in response to questions about being ridiculed about his age by Ajit Pawar. “I am the president of NCP,” he declared and added that the “truth will come out” on Ajit Pawar’ claim of having majority. Pawar exuded confidence that the opposition parties will succeed in defeating the BJP-led central government in the Lok Sabha elections.
“The central government is using ED, CBI everywhere to weaken the opposition. It is fine. About 11 months are left of this government. Then we will face elections and the situation will change. Then our top priority will be to make appropriate changes,” he said.