NCP ministers resign in Maharashtra

Move part of party's clean-up drive before LS, Assembly polls

All 20 ministers of the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra today submitted their resignations to party boss Sharad Pawar, as part of their party’s clean-up drive ahead of the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.  

The ministers submitted their resignations to Pawar at the special meeting convened by the latter to discuss preparations for the Lok Sabha elections.

Among the ministers who resigned were prominent faces like deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, public works minister Chhagan Bhujbal, home minister R R Patil and rural development minister Jayant Patil.

Apart from the 20 ministers, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly speaker Dilip Walse Patil also submitted his resignation.

The NCP will carry out a reshuffle of its ministers without waiting for alliance partner, Congress.

The new president of the Maharashtra unit of the NCP will also be elected on June 15 at the party meeting.

“Today’s move was much a awaited-one, as Pawar has decided to reshuffle the ministers ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The party's image has taken a serious beating in the wake of the series of scams involving party ministers and leaders.

Also, various pre-poll surveys have given low seats to the NCP in the parliamentary election,” an NCP minister, who was present at the meeting, told Business Standard.

The minister said today's resignations were on the lines of the Congress party's ‘Kamraj Plan’ of 1963, when all Congress ministers had resigned, paving the way for the party to make necessary changes.

At the meeting, Pawar asked the ministers to gear up for the Lok Sabha elections and asked Ajit Pawar, Bhujbal, Jaidutt Kshirsagar, Sunil Tatkare, Rajesh Tope, Fauzia Khan and others to be ready to be nominated as party candidates.

Pawar also discussed the issue of exchange of NCP seats with the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

By taking the resignations of all ministers, Pawar has reiterated that he is in full command.

He has also indicated that neither his nephew and deputy chief minister Ajit or his daughter and party Member of Parliament Supriya Sule will have the last word in party affairs for now at least.