'Panel to pick next NCP president'

MUMBAI: Sharad Pawar on Tuesday recommended that a high-level committee of senior Nationalist Congress Party leaders comprising Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Anil Deshmukh, Sunil Tatkare, K K Sharma, P C Chacko, Rajesh Tope, Jitendra Awhad, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde and Jaydev Gaikwad should decide on the election of the new party president as early as possible.

The sense in the party is that there are five frontrunners for the top post: Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, Dilip Walse Patil and Praful Patel. While Ajit is his nephew and Supriya is the daughter, the other contenders are all long-time Pawar aides and confidants associated with the party since its inception and known as Pawar associates from his pre-1999 years in the Congress.

There had been speculation for a month that Ajit Pawar was planning to leave NCP. But Ajit Pawar, who is now leader of opposition in the assembly, had clarified that he would remain in the NCP and alleged some people were trying to defame him.