"Ajit Pawar Not Part Of Meeting Because...": Sharad Pawar's Party Leader

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar's absence at a meeting of the party held in Delhi on Wednesday, following a series of organisational changes and reshuffles within the party, was explained by one of its key members as nothing out of the ordinary.

"The meeting was not a national executive meeting of the NCP, but a gathering of only office bearers from the women's wing, student wing, and youth wing," Praful Patel, the NCP's working president for states other than Maharashtra, said.

Mr Patel clarified that Ajit Pawar did not attend the meeting because he is not an office bearer of these specific wings.

Mr Pawar's absence from the meeting sparked curiosity as his image was also missing from the posters displayed at the venue. The posters prominently featured his uncle Sharad Pawar, the party's president, along with Supriya Sule, who is the working president for Maharashtra, and Praful Patel.

This comes after Ajit Pawar, who has significant ministerial experience and has served four times as the Deputy Chief Minister, expressed his desire to step down from his role as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly to work within the party organisation.

Sharad Pawar responded to his nephew's request by stating that such decisions cannot be taken unilaterally and would require consultation among key party leaders.

Amid rumours about Ajit Pawar drifting towards the BJP, Sharad Pawar recently entrusted the responsibility of Maharashtra to his daughter and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule, appointing her as a working president.

Ajit Pawar's request followed a series of changes within the NCP, including organisational elections announced on May 17, and the appointment of Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as two working presidents on June 10.

Ajit Pawar hinted at his wish to serve as the state president, a position currently held by Jayant Patil and previously represented by other party stalwarts.

This wave of organisational changes in the NCP is seen as part of a succession plan and the creation of new leadership leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, as hinted by Sharad Pawar when he took back his resignation last month.