After morning resignation, Sharad Pawar agrees to ‘rethink’ in evening

Barely six hours after his move to step down as party chief kicked up a dust storm, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday agreed to do a ‘rethink’ and announce his final decision in the next few days, his nephew Ajit Pawar said here. “We all leaders have met him and convinced him on the issue. Pawar Saheb has agreed to re-consider. Let’s give him 2-3 days to make his decision,” Ajit Pawar told mediapersons. Apparently, annoyed by the spate of protests after his move to quit, Pawar, 83, told his senior leaders that “if they are stubborn, I am even more adamant”. He also frowned at the agitations, sit-in protests, indefinite hunger strikes, resignations of various office-bearers from across the state, people writing letters in blood, etc. Ajit Pawar said that the party work will continue as usual and nobody’s resignation shall be accepted, putting the lid on the political storm that rocked national politics since noon on Tuesday. Sharad Pawar and other leaders again appealed to all their party workers sitting near the Y.B. Chavan Auditorium and other parts of the state to call off all their protests and go home peacefully.