Watch: Sharad Pawar Cracks Up News Conference With Nonchalant Quip | Read
On a day his party suffered a stunning blow with the departure of a slew of leaders led by his nephew Ajit Pawar, veteran politician Sharad Pawar barely betrayed any disquiet, even cracking up a roomful of journalists and supporters with a witty wisecrack. During an evening news conference following Sunday's developments, a journalist asked who would now be the face of the party - an allusion to the vacancy for the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, a role that Ajit Pawar held. "Sharad Pawar," replied the 82-year-old chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) without skipping a beat, cracking into a smile and playfully raising his hand in the air as if to mark attendance.
