The Prime Minister is understood to have told Pawar that he will get back to him in a week. The NCP chief's move, besides raising questions about his intent, has also triggered speculation that a Cabinet reshuffle could be in the offing.

Pawar has faced flak from Opposition parties as well as the Congress in the last few months over the inability to arrest inflationary trends of food grains and other essential items. "I met the Prime Minister today and asked him to relieve me from some of the responsibilities that I am holding," Pawar told The Indian Express.

The senior minister, who has held the responsibility of Agriculture and Cooperation, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution for the last six years, denied that the move had anything to do with his new responsibility as president of the International Cricket Council (ICC).