Mumbai

Dropping an unexpected political bomb, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar announced that he was stepping down as party chief, here on Tuesday.

The sudden announcement was greeted with shock, disbelief, bursting into tears and hundreds protesting at Pawar's move, demanding that he withdraw it.

However, Pawar, flanked by his wife Pratibha, appeared to be grimly determined and declared: "I know when to stop... I have set up a committee of senior NCP leaders who will decide on the next president."

Senior leaders like Ajit Pawar, state party chief Jayant Patil and others attempted to pacify the party workers and the lower rung leaders, and urged them to remain calm.

Pawar, 82, made the announcement of his retirement during the release of his autobiography, 'Lok Majhe Sangaayi - Political Autobiography'.

However, the Rajya Sabha member said he had three more years to go in Parliament, and assured that he would remain active in public life through social-politics, as in the past over 55 years.

Tracing his long political journey, Pawar said that it was on May 1, 1960, when Maharashtra was formed under the leadership of Yashwantrao Chavan, and the same day, that he joined the Pune City Youth Congress, as an active party worker.

"At the insistence of Yashwantrao Chavan, at the age of 27, I was selected as a candidate for the Baramati Assembly constituency, and contesting against me was an influential figure in the cooperative movement..." said Pawar, who would later be a four-time CM.

Due to his long association with the State Youth Congress, and his huge network of a large number of workers and leaders who organised his maiden poll campaign, he was elected with a considerable margin.

Over the past 56 years, he recalled his services as MLA, MLC, MP in both Houses of Parliament, Minister in the state and Centre, a four-time CM, Defence and Agriculture Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and other responsibilities.

After quitting the Congress to form the NCP in 1999, he continued to serve as its President for an incredible 24 years of his 63-year-long political career.

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"I have three years left of Rajya Sabha, during which I will focus on issues related to Maharashtra and India, with a caveat of not taking any responsibility... After a long period of public life from May 1, 1960, to May 1, 2023, it is necessary to take a step back," said Pawar.