A day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar announced his decision to step down as the political outfit's chief, he stuck to his daily routine of meeting people including party functionaries here on Wednesday.
Pawar (82) on Tuesday dropped a bombshell by saying he is stepping down as chief of the NCP which he founded and helmed since 1999, but not retiring from public life.
The announcement, made at an event, stumped leaders and workers of the 24-year-old party, and many were seen crying and pleading with the Maratha strongman to reconsider his decision.
Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar later on Tuesday announced that his uncle will need two to three days to "think over" his decision.
An NCP functionary on Wednesday said Sharad Pawar was meeting people, including party workers, as usual at the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan here from 10 am to 1 pm.
Notably, Sharad Pawar’s surprise announcement on Tuesday came less than a fortnight after NCP’s Lok Sabha member and his daughter Supriya Sule indicated that there will be two "blasts" (political) in 15 days, one in Delhi and another in Maharashtra.
After Sharad Pawar declared he is quitting as NCP chief, district unit office bearers in some places in the state said they were quitting their posts to demand that he reconsider his decision.
Conveying his message to protesting party workers, Ajit Pawar requested NCP functionaries not to resign from their posts against Pawar senior's surprise decision.
In Baramati town of Pune district, the home turf of NCP president Sharad Pawar and a place synonymous with his politically powerful family, the news of his resignation as party chief has come as a bolt from the blue for its residents who want him to continue heading the outfit.
As the news travelled to Baramati in western Maharashtra, located around 250 km from Mumbai, its residents rubbed their eyes in disbelief and struggled to come to terms with the development.
"Pawar saheb should not resign. The party is there because of him, and he should not relinquish the reins. He should not think of stepping down and be at the helm of the affairs as long as possible for him," said Jawahar Shah, who runs educational institutes in Baramati.
Shah said before going public, Pawar may have discussed the dramatic move with his ambitious nephew Ajit Pawar, who has been at the centre of intense political speculation over the last few weeks.
"It is highly possible they had a discussion before this announcement. Pawar saheb would not take this kind of decision alone," he said.
Prashant Kate, another resident of Baramati, said it is difficult for local people to digest the news.
"Everyone is of the opinion that Pawar saheb should not have taken such a decision," he said.
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