In a surprise announcement amid strategising for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, veteran politician Sharad Pawar on May 2, 2023, said he is stepping down as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party.
He reportedly said that a committee would be formed to decide who will helm the party. Pawar said that he is taking a step back after a long political life from 1960 to 2023, but will remain active politically.
He said he will spend the remainder of his Rajya Sabha membership to focus on issues related to Maharashtra and the country.