Pawar Vs Pawar: I Am The NCP President, Asserts Sharad As Working Committee ‘Expels’ Ajit & Rebels

New Delhi: Sharad Pawar on Thursday asserted that he is still very much the president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), irrespective of what his nephew Ajit is claiming.

“I am the president of NCP… if someone says that he is the president, it is completely false, there’s no truth in it. There’s no importance if someone (Ajit Pawar) says something,” Sharad said at a press conference after chairing a meeting of the party’s working committee.

Ajit, who was sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy CM after revolting against his uncle, claimed yesterday that his uncle is no longer NCP president. The Ajit camp submitted an affidavit to Election Commission of India (ECI) stating that a resolution electing Ajit as NCP’s national president was signed by an “overwhelming majority” of MLAs and members of organisational wing.

In today’s meeting in the national Capital, NCP approved the decision to expel 11 rebel leaders including Praful Patel from the party.

On the issue of the Ajit faction making a case for getting the party name and symbol with ECI, Sharad said, “We believe in the Election Commission of India, if we have to say something then we will go to ECI.”

Sharad also hit back at Ajit for the latter’s ‘retirement’ jibe.

“I am still effective, whether I am 82 or 92,” said Pawar Sr.

The Ajit-led faction said in a statement that today’s working committee meeting called by Sharad in Delhi has no legal sanctity.