Emphasising that the party remains steadfast in its opposition to communal forces, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar reaffirmed on Sunday that the party will connect with the people and reinvigorate itself.
"I have faith in the people of Maharashtra, especially the youth. Instead of wasting time in legal battles, we will reach out to them," Pawar stated during a press conference at his residence in Modi baug, Pune, on Sunday evening. He also announced his visit to Karad, where he will rally the people of Maharashtra against communal and hegemonic forces.
"Our party's stance remains unchanged," he asserted when asked about party members joining the state government as ministers. Responding to queries about the number of members still aligned with him, he stated, "We will need some time to assess how many are still with us. However, I am certain that our party workers are firmly committed to the party's ideology."
Pawar announced that MLA Jitendra Awhad would serve as the leader of the opposition and the party's chief whip. He also claimed that state NCP president Jayant Patil stands by him.
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"I am not new to such situations. In 1980, we had 58 MLAs, but only 6 remained with me after a month. I led 58 MLAs as the leader of the opposition, but ultimately, I was left with only 5 MLAs. However, we rebuilt the party, and five years later, we had 69 MLAs. Moreover, only 4 of those who left us managed to win elections again," Pawar explained, outlining the party's strategy for the days ahead.
Pawar also criticised Prime Minister Modi for his allegations of corruption against the NCP. "Two days ago, PM Modi claimed that the NCP was riddled with corruption, citing the irrigation scam and the state cooperative bank. However, today members of the NCP were inducted into his party's cabinet. This implies that his accusations were baseless. I thank him for absolving the party of those charges," Pawar sarcastically remarked.
He further stated that he intended to make changes within the party organisation and had called a meeting on July 6 for that purpose. "However, some party members took a different stance and claimed to be the party. The true situation will become clear within a couple of days," he added, noting that some individuals who had sided with them had since contacted him, expressing their lack of awareness regarding the developments.
Pawar also mentioned that Bhujbal had called him affirming his loyalty to the party, but subsequently took the oath of office.
