The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has started pitching its president Sharad Pawar as the Prime Ministerial candidate ahead of 2014 election. In a recent party convention held at Pune, state unit chief of the party Madhukar Pichad said, "We have to strengthen the hands of party president Sharad Pawar. We need to strengthen his (Pawar's) place in the state and national politics by increasing the number of party MLA's and MP's in 2014 elections. We have to fulfill our dream (to make Pawar PM)". Pichad even hinted that if required the party will go all alone in the election and snap ties with the ruling partner Congress. State home minister R R Patil said that the party has enough strength to fulfill the dream of its leader.