A committee will be formed to decide who should be given the responsibility of the party chief's post, Pawar said.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday announced his decision to step down as party chief. However, he won't retire from active politics.

As soon as the veteran leader announced his decision, the NCP workers in the auditorium demanded that Pawar withdraw his decision, saying they won't leave the auditorium till he does so.

Pawar, who helmed the party since its inception in 1999, said in his address, "I have three years left of Rajya Sabha membership in Parliament, during which I will focus on issues related to Maharashtra and India, with a caveat of not taking any responsibility. After a long period of public life from May 1, 1960, to May 1, 2023, it is necessary to take a step back. Hence, I have decided to step down as President of the Nationalist Congress Party".

A committee will be formed to decide who should be given the responsibility of the party chief's post, Pawar said. He said the panel should have senior members including Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Jayant Patil, Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Chhagan Bhujbal and others.