Not in race to become NCP's national president; will decide as per party workers' sentiments: Praful Patel

Mumbai: Amid the developments involving the NCP, Rajya Sabha member and the party’s working president Praful Patel on Tuesday said that he was not in race to take up the post of president, however, added that the process to appoint his successor will done soon while dropping hints that Sunetra Pawar could replace her late husband Ajit Pawar.

Majority of the NCP leaders, MPs, MLAs and MLCs want Sunetra Pawar to take up the top party job following the death of her husband Ajit Pawar.

“We will take the decision looking at the sentiments…the party will take an appropriate decision at the appropriate person will be the NCP president…there will be someone else surely not me,” Patel, a Rajya Sabha member, told reporters in New Delhi.

“(After the death of Ajit Pawar) election of Sunetra Pawar as leader of the (NCP) legislature party is our right. We will take (future) decisions as per the sentiments of our rank and file,” said Patel, a former union minister, who was a close confidante of Ajit Pawar, who was the NCP president and deputy chief minister.

Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on January 28.

Three days after his death, Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected NCP legislature party leader and sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister.

Patel regretted that following the death of Ajit Pawar people who are not connected to the NCP are making different remarks.

“The (NCP) party will chart out its future under the leadership of Sunetra Pawar…I am not in the race for the president's post. It is not proper to speak on any other issue at this juncture,” said Patel.

On criticism that the NCP leadership hurriedly made Sunetra Pawar the deputy chief minister, he said: “We decided immediately because such an issue cannot be kept pending for many days. Secondly, the party needs stability and direction. All the members, including the MLAs, felt that Sunetra Pawar should take up the leadership role."