Nationalist Congress Party superemo Sharad Pawar said here on Wednesday that the resignations of NCP Ministers in the Maharashtra coalition Gvernment have been blocked.

“As a final authority of the party, I am saying that their resignations have not been accepted,” he declared at a press conference after the meeting of seven eastern states on agriculture programme here. Pawar was here since Tuesday and apparently was not aware of the sudden development in Maharashtra.

“Our coalition with Congress is stable. It was a courageous step by the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to step down in the wake of certain allegations. But the issue has been sorted out,” he said.

On Tuesday, a crisis of sorts emerged when Ajit Pawar resigned followed by the resignations of all 15 NCP ministers and five Ministers of State. State party Chief Madhukar Pichad, to whom the resignations had been submitted, was quoted to have said that it was move of solidarity and he would discuss the development with Sharad Pawar later.

Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday the NCP Legislature Party took the decision of withdrawal of resignations. Ajit Pawar, incidentally, is the Chief of the NCP Legislature party in the Maharashtra House.

Sharad Pawar also ruled out play of any “pressure tactics” on the Congress through the resignation moves. He affirmed his party's continued support to Congress at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

The NCP supremo said the NCP Legislature Party met on Wednesday and requested Ajit Pawar to reconsider his decision. It adopted a unanimous resolution that the final decision on the issue will be taken by the national president which will be binding."

“There was a demand that a white paper be published and certain issues be raised. He (Ajit Pawar) thought that he should step down and let the picture be clear before the people of the State," Sharad Pawar said.

>jayanta.mallick@thehindu.co.in

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