82 or 92, I am Still Effective: Pawar

NEW DELHI: After a meeting of the party's working committee in the national capital, which approved the decision to expel Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and nine others who joined hands with the NDA recently, Sharad Pawar on Thursday asserted that he is the president of the NCP.

Repudiating the claims of the Ajit faction that they represent the real NCP and therefore no person within the party has any authority to call for any meeting of the national executive, national working committee, national office bearers, state unit presidents, Pawar said, "I am the president of NCP. If someone claims it, then it is completely false. There's no truth in it. It's of no importance if someone says something."

On Ajit's claim of having a majority, Pawar said that the "truth will come out".

Reacting to his nephew's age jibe, Pawar said, "I am still effective, whether I am 82 or 92."

On the issue of party name and symbol, Pawar said, "We believe in the Election Commission; if we have to say something, then we will go to the EC. Now, whatever we need to say, we will say it before the Election Commission."

Briefing the media about the working meeting, party leader P.C. Chacko said that eight resolutions were passed in the meeting. He asserted that the party's organisation is rallying behind Pawar.

"The NCP working committee approved the decision to expel Mr Patel, Mr Tatkare and nine others who joined hands with the NDA," Chacko said, adding, "Pawar is the elected national president of the NCP. We don't take seriously anyone else's claims of being the NCP's national president. Our organisation is still intact and we are with Pawar."

Chacko further stated that every three years, the NCP holds elections and people are elected regularly.

The resolutions passed by the working committee include a stand against the undemocratic and unconstitutional actions of the BJP government and the misuse of government agencies against the Opposition.

It also condemned the Central government's policies, which resulted in spiralling inflation, unemployment and women's plight.

Ajit and eight of his colleagues joined the Eknath Shinde government on July 2. While Ajit was made deputy chief minister, the others were sworn in as ministers. Several of them have been accused of corruption and are being investigated by the Central probe agencies.