The exit of Ajit Pawar from the Maharashtra government onThursday appeared certain with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar saying the issue of theDeputy Chief Minister's resignation is over for the party.
At the same time, the NCP chief said the offer ofresignation of 19 other Ministers of the party in the state has not beenaccepted.
He saw no threat to the stability of the Maharashtracoalition in which his party has been a major partner for the past 13 years.
Maintaining that the decision to resign as Deputy ChiefMinister was taken by Ajit himself , Sharad Pawar told PTI that after the partyleadership gave Ajit "permission" to step down after dueconsideration, he handed over the resignation letter to Chief MinisterPrithviraj Chavan.
"After that, the issue of the resignation is over forthe NCP," he said, noting that Ajit had wanted to put in his papers sothat there should not be any doubt about he pressurising anybody on the whitepaper on irrigation projects, an idea floated by the Chief Minister.
Ajit Pawar resigned two days back in the wake of his allegedinvolvement in irrigation scam of Rs 20,000 crores during his ten year tenureas Water Resources Minister between 1999 to 2009. Nineteen other partyMinisters also offered to quit in solidarity.
The NCP chief said that he would be reaching Mumbai tomorrowevening and persuade the party MLAs who have been pressing Ajit to take backhis decision.
Pawar is leaving for Kolhapur on Thursday to attend the funeral offormer Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar, who died yesterday. Hewould be later going to Belgaum and then fly to Mumbai.
Asked whether the issue figured at the UPA CoordinationCommittee meeting, Pawar wondered how could it be possible as it was aninternal issue of NCP.
