New Delhi, November 5, 2024: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder and veteran political leader Sharad Pawar, 83, hinted at retirement during an address in Baramati, his political stronghold in Maharashtra. Speaking to voters, Pawar announced he may not contest any further elections after his Rajya Sabha term concludes in 18 months, marking what could be the close of a near six-decade-long career.
“I am not in power… and my Rajya Sabha tenure has one-and-a-half years left,” said the senior Pawar. “After that, I will not contest any election in the future. [I] will have to stop somewhere.” Pawar also extended gratitude to Baramati voters for their steadfast support, which has seen him elected as an MP and MLA a remarkable 14 times.
This announcement comes amid a fiercely contested Maharashtra Assembly election, where Pawar’s family is at the heart of a key battle. Baramati, long associated with Pawar’s political legacy, will witness a showdown as his nephew, Ajit Pawar, faces off against his grandnephew, Yugendra Pawar, symbolizing both family and generational tensions within Maharashtra’s political sphere.
Ajit Pawar, a five-time MLA from Baramati and former NCP leader, split from the party last year to form an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a faction of the Shiv Sena. Despite a political rift, Sharad Pawar extended a conciliatory tone towards his nephew, acknowledging his 30-year leadership in the region. However, he also emphasized a need for generational change, seeming to endorse Yugendra Pawar as part of NCP’s future.
“Now it is time for me to prepare a young, dynamic leadership… which can take over for the next 30 years,” Pawar said, signaling a shift in NCP’s leadership while looking to unite supporters.
Sharad Pawar’s potential departure marks a turning point for Maharashtra politics. His influence in the state and beyond has shaped regional and national alliances for decades. Known for his resilience, Pawar previously rebuffed retirement calls, famously stating, “Na tired hu, na retired hu” (I am neither tired nor retired), a sentiment echoed from the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
As Maharashtra braces for a high-stakes election, the Baramati contest reflects both a referendum on Sharad Pawar’s enduring influence and the new directions the NCP may take. Whether this marks Pawar’s final innings or a strategic transition, his role in Maharashtra’s political landscape remains unmatched.
