A fortnight after Sharad Pawar decided to step down and later withdrew his resignation following requests from party leaders and workers, the NCP core committee met on Wednesday and decided to hold organisational elections.
The NCP core committee met in Mumbai under the chairmanship of Pawar.
“We must hold organisational polls and for this we must announce the schedule,” Pawar told the meeting attended by the top brass of the party.
Jaiprakash Dandegaonkar and Dilip Walse-Patil have been appointed as returning officers for Maharashtra and Mumbai, respectively.
“Both the election officers will soon announce the schedule for party organisational elections in various districts of Maharashtra and Mumbai,” NCP national spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said after the meeting.
“This was the first meeting of NCP leaders after the pronouncement of the Karnataka verdict and assumes significance given that Karnataka-like anti-incumbency prevails against the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra,” Tapase added.
Former NCP ministers have been made in-charge of districts to oversee organisational affairs of the party within the respective Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha constituencies.
“These leaders will be required to extensively tour various assembly constituencies and bring in proper coordination amongst local leaders and party affiliated frontal organisations. The party will appoint booth level workers in every constituency within the next two months,” Tapase said.
Pawar had founded the NCP on June 10, 1999 - and the meeting comes days before the party’s foundation day events, which have been planned in Ahmednagar.
The 82-year-old Pawar, who completed 63 years of public life on May 1, abruptly announced his resignation on May 2. However, Pawar withdrew the resignation on May 5 after the committee appointed to hunt for his successor unanimously rejected his resignation and requested him to take it back.
While withdrawing his resignation, Pawar had hinted at organisational changes and creating new leadership in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. Besides, he stressed on the need to have a proper succession plan in place in the party.
NCP Vice President Praful Patel, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, state NCP President Jayant Patil, senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Sunil Tatkare, Jitendra Awhad, Supriya Sule, Fauziya Khan and others were among others present at the NCP core committee meeting.