Ajit Pawar has served as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar has served as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar has served as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Just over a week after Sharad Pawar appointed Praful Patel and Supriya Sule as NCP working presidents, Ajit Pawar on Wednesday appealed to the party leadership to relieve him of the responsibility of Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and assign him any role in the party organisation.
Pawar, who has served as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, came up with this demand at the 24th Foundation Day event of the Nationalist Congress Party held in Mumbai. "I am told that I don't act tough as the leader of the opposition," he said in a remark that could fuel fresh speculation in the state.
"I was never interested to work as Leader of Opposition but accepted the role on demand of the party MLAs," the senior NCP leader said, adding that it is up to the top leadership to decide on his demand. "Assign me any post in the party organisation, and I will do complete justice to whatever responsibility I am entrusted with," he assured.
Ajit Pawar took charge as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) last July after the coalition government of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress collapsed due to a rebellion in then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena.
After the fall of the coalition government, reports emerged that Pawar, who aspires to become the chief minister, might switch sides and join hands with the BJP. He had once done that after a difference emerged between BJP and then undivided Shiv Sena soon after the election results in 2019.
Amid the buzz that Pawar may ditch NCP, Sharad Pawar recently stepped down from the post of party chief. But following the requests from the party colleague, he took back his resignation. And weeks after this, he appointed his daughter Supriya Sule, and Praful Patel as the working presidents of the NCP.
When asked why Ajit Pawar was not given any role in the party, the NCP supremo said he already had the responsibility of Leader of the Opposition (LoP). But now Pawar asking to be relieved from that assembly responsibility may spark another round of speculations that he may be looking for the top post in the party.
(With inputs from PTI)