Sharad Pawar: Maharashtra leader still has surprises up his sleeve

On April 7, political circles were abuzz after NCP chief Sharad Pawar disapproved of the Opposition’s demand for a JPC probe against Gautam Adani.

Appearing on an Adani-owned TV channel, Pawar mounted a spirited defence of the firm and questioned the Hindenburg report.

For the Congress and the Opposition parties, which had slogged hard to build a narrative against the Modi government, it was like a gut punch. Two days later, he did an U-turn and said he would not oppose a JPC for the sake of Opposition unity.

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Pawar’s behaviour may have confounded many, but for those who have watched his rise, it made complete sense. Pawar is the master of surprises.

Ever-shifting

With friends in high places, across parties and business interests ranging from sugar mills to media, Pawar’s politics have always been fluid; his loyalties, ever-shifting.

But the 82-year-old leader—a former BCCI chief; someone who came close to becoming the prime minister—is also pragmatic, a rarity in today’s politics defined by extremes.

Born in 1940 in Baramati, part of Maharashtra’s sugar belt and his home turf, Pawar became the youngest Chief Minister of Maharashtra at 38 after splitting Congress (U) to form a government. By then, he was in politics for around 20 years.

He returned to the Congress (I), the party that he joined in 1958, citing the rise of the Shiv Sena in 1987.

A year later, after rejoining the Congress, he became Maharashtra’s Chief Minister when Rajiv Gandhi brought SB Chavan to the Centre. Pawar then went on to retain the government in 1990 with the help of independents.

Highly ambitious, Pawar had dreams of becoming the prime minister in 1991, but they were nixed when P V Narasimha Rao outmaneuvered him to the top post after Rajiv’s assassination.

He eventually left the Congress to form the NCP after raising Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin issue. But Pawar, being the politician he is, manages a good relationship with Sonia, with whom she used to have long conversations in Lok Sabha.

However, “trust deficit” and “credibility crisis” are the two terms that Opposition leaders associate with Pawar, though they agree that he is a tall national leader.

Pawar didn’t bat an eyelid to receive the Padma Vibhushan from the Narendra Modi government when the Opposition was in a bitter battle with the BJP.

At the height of some crisis, he would be meeting Modi or making a statement that would be at odds with his allies. (An example: He recently said Modi’s degree is not a major issue when there are other pressing national problems. The issue had been raked up by the AAP).

Despite that, no party can dare to rub Pawar the wrong way, be it the ruling BJP or the Opposition Congress.

Sunil Gatade, a senior journalist who has followed Pawar’s political career for around 40 years, tells why allies go the extra mile to accommodate him – he is the fulcrum if a coalition needs to succeed in Maharashtra.

And it is true: Pawar managed to stitch together an unlikely coalition comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress in Maharashtra before it went kaput.

Parties believe they can do business with him as he takes the middle road.

“Pawar’s problem is that he is a big leader but of a small party,” Gatade told DH. “He is one of the most hard-working politicians and a good strategist. Even a number of Congressmen consider Pawar as the biggest leader of the Congress family in the state despite him heading the NCP. Pawar’s story is the story of sustaining a regional party for around 25 years.”

Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule is an MP while his nephew Ajit, who is as unpredictable as his uncle, was a former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Opposition leaders now subtly talk about the 36 hours when Ajit was with the BJP. There is no explanation on what happened and many speculate that it was the senior Pawar’s exploration of a shot at power. Some say that it was his ploy to get the President’s Rule lifted so that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government could be put in place.

Whatever the case, Pawar sent a message that he means business. The question now is: will he stick with the Opposition? And how much would he bargain? Would this be his last shot at that elusive Prime Minister’s post?

The octogenarian still has the fire in the belly as his 2019 campaign speech in Kolhapur in driving rain shows. One would also not forget how he turned the tables on the ED when he was summoned.

With 2024 LS polls up ahead, the old man may have some new cards up his sleeve.