Sharad Pawar Biography
Who is Sharad Pawar?
Sharad Pawar, a prominent name in Maharashtra politics, is the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The 84-year-old has had several achievements and controversies with a career spanning over 6 decades. Pawar’s career began in 1958 when he joined the Youth Congress. Subsequently, he became the youngest chief minister (CM) of Maharashtra at the age of 37 years. He held this position 4 times throughout his career. He also got the opportunity to serve as the Defence Minister of India from 1991 to 1993 under Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. In his long career, he has significantly shaped Maharashtra’s agricultural policies and cooperative movements while contributing to the state’s economic development.
It was in 1999 that he founded the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after separation from the Congress party. This separation was owing to disagreements between the parties regarding the leadership dynamic. He has been renowned in the political field as a person who navigates political landscapes efficiently and effectively. He is an active part of Maharashtra politics and and is the senior leader in the NCP, as he stepped down from the post of part president in 2023.
Early Life
Sharad Govindrao Pawar was born into an agricultural family on December 12, 1940, in the quaint little town of Baramati, Maharashtra. His father’s name was Govindrao Pawar, and his mother’s name was Shardabai Pawar. He was brought up in an environment that focused on education and community service. He grew up in a rural setting, which made him aware of the challenges faced by farmers and the agrarian community. These challenges consequently moulded his political ideology.
He attended local schools and shifted to Pune to pursue higher studies at Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce. It was here that he got involved in student politics as he joined the Youth Congress in 1958. In this organization, he exhibited leadership qualities that laid the foundation for his stellar political career.
Political Career
Pawar was involved in politics from a young age. He became a part of several small movements in his school and college. In 1960, his brother, Vasantrao Pawar, contested elections from the Peasants and Workers Party, whereas Pawar was obligated to campaign for the Congress. In these elections, even though his brother lost, Pawar’s image was established as a loyal and dedicated Congress worker.
In 1962, he was elected as the Pune District Youth Congress President. From here, there was no looking back. He went on to win a seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Baramati in 1967 at the mere age of 27 years. He was representing the undivided Congress Party at that time.
Break away from Congress
Sharad Pawar, along with 40 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), decided to split the Congress and they formed the Progressive Democratic Front in alliance with the Janata Party and Peasants and Workers Party. This happened in the year 1978 when he was aged 38 years. Further, as the Congress government had toppled, he went on to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. A fact here is that he was the youngest CM to hold the post then.
However, this term was short-lived as his government was dismissed from power in February 1980. But, this setback did not keep him from influencing the politics of the state.
Return to Power
Despite his short-lived term, Pawar was able to return to the post of CM 3 times.
- Second Term: He was able to return to the post as CM of the State in 1988.
- Third Term: In 1990, he came for his third term.
- Fourth Term: In 1993, he became the CM yet again.
Albeit he returned to the post frequently, the durations of his tenure were very short-lived and he battled different challenges during those tenures as the entire period was marked with many events and incidents.
Roles in the Union Government
The son of a small agricultural farmer from Baramati not only influenced the politics in his own state, but he was able to do so at the national level as well. He became the Defence Minister of India during the tenure of P.V. Narasimha Rao. He served in this role for 3 years. However, his political influence suffered a setback amidst the allegations of corruption and administrative lapses. It was after this that he returned to the post of CM in 1993.
Election Tales
After becoming the CM in 1993, he was in power for 2 years. In 1995, Maharashtra witnessed a change in power dynamics as the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance combined and came to power. He stepped down as the CM and Manohar Joshi was appointed as the new CM.
In 1999, Congress expelled Sharad Pawar, along with P A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar. This expulsion came at the time when Pawar had raised the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin and he subsequently challenged her candidacy to become the Prime Minister of the country. This expulsion did not keep him down but rather gave him the motivation to fight the battle with more courage and resources.
The Birth of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
In 1999 itself, Sharad Pawar founded the NCP. The aim was to address the regional issues while there may have been some ideological ties with Congress. This newly born party became very popular in Maharashtra as it focused on local governance and looked for social justice issues. He looked for the most suitable opportunities and tried to make the most out of them. However, in the same year of the birth of this party, the NCP and the Congress shook hands and formed a coalition government as neither of the parties was able to secure a clear majority.
In 2004, he was given the post of agricultural minister in the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh. He was in the Union Cabinet even after the 2009 general elections, as UPA was able to secure a win.
Shift in Powers
Pawar’s career was great and he had made the most of the situations he was in. His political affiliations were in power for a major part of his career. During the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, the state saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 105 seats. Shiv Sena, which was in alliance with the BJP, won 56 seats. However, the two parties could not come to a consensus regarding the post of the CM. Since Shiv Sena could not find a way out here, they approached the Congress and NCP.
However, some supporters of the NCP were taken aback when Sharad Pawar instructed them to support the BJP. This allowed the latter to form the government. But this move had its own consequences that affected prominent party members like Chhagan Bhujbal and Ajit Pawar.
The 2019 Phase
During the 2019 election in the state, Pawar made a strong comeback as he created a powerful image of himself and his party and this allowed them to win additional seats. Pawar captialised on the rifts that existed between Shiv Sena and BJP, which ultimately persuaded the Shiv Sena to form a coalition with NCP and Congress known as the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Uddhav Thackeray was named the CM.
However, during this process, a faction of Sharad’s party, led by his nephew Ajit Pawar, rebelled, which did not allow the government’s formation. After this, Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis became the Deputy CM and CM, respectively. But this was also short-lived as Pawar sent a strong message to the MLAs who had defected that strong action would be taken against those members under the anti-defection laws. So, many of them returned to him immediately. Even this new government fell and Uddhav was made the CM again.
Despite some setbacks that he has received in the last few years, Sharad Pawar remains a very active name in politics. In 2023, he resigned his resignation from the post of Party President of NCP and persuaded the members to appoint another member in his place. In the recent elections that happened in the state, the MVA government became the opposition. Sharad Pawar is a strong voice in this opposition as he continues to question the government’s strategies while playing his part in the social issues that are prevailing in the state.
A legacy
His political career is characterised by adaptability and strength. In these 6 decades of public life, he has maintained his relevance in the dynamic political landscapes as he remains vocals for the regional interests both at the state and national levels.