Sharad Pawar's resignation call: Stunned Baramati hopes for change of mind

PUNE: Tuesday began like any other day in Baramati, but the mood changed to utter disbelief after NCP leader Sharad Pawar declared that he would step down as the party president.
The town then wore an empty look as citizens watched the updates about Pawar's decision.
Baramati has been Pawar's fortress in his political career spanning over six decades. As four-time chief minister, he never lost any election. Even after he decided to become a Rajya Sabha MP, he ensured that his daughter Supriya Sule would have an undefeated representation of Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. Hence, his decision to step down has stunned Baramati.
"I was in the bank when I read a message on a social media platform about Pawar quitting as NCP president. I was shocked. I did not complete my work. I rushed over to a friend's place to watch the updates on television," Imtiyaz Shikalkar, an NCP worker from Baramati, said.
Party workers from Baramati are against his decision and some have started for Mumbai to request him to take back his decision.
Jaydeep Taware, former sarpanch of Malegaon village in Baramati, said, "Nobody had any indication about Pawar's decision. People are so stunned that it affected routine work. Everybody wants to know if he will roll it back if senior leaders convince him."
Last Diwali, most of the Pawar family had gathered for a non-political gathering. Local NCP workers said that the younger citizens in Baramati idolize Aji Pawar, but most party workers still support his uncle.
Hemant Supekar, another resident of Baramati, said many below 30 years of age follow Ajit but Sharad Pawar's influence over Baramati remains. "Most of us want him to remain as NCP president," he added.
In Pune, office bearers had gathered outside the party's office. "This is the first and probably the only decision of Pawar which has not been accepted by any party member. We have offered our resignations from the party. We will take them back only when he reverses his decision," said NCP's city spokesperson Pradeep Deshmukh.