New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended birthday greetings to Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar, wishing him a long and healthy life.

PM Modi took to the social media platform X and wrote, “Birthday wishes to Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sharad Pawar Ji. Wishing him a long and healthy life.”

Sharad Pawar, a towering figure in Maharashtra politics, is the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The 84-year-old leader has had a long, eventful career marked by major achievements as well as controversies. His public life, spanning over six decades, began in 1958 when he joined the Youth Congress. Pawar later went on to become the youngest Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the age of 37, a position he held four times over the course of his career. He also served as India’s Defence Minister from 1991 to 1993 under then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.

Throughout his political journey, Pawar has played a significant role in shaping Maharashtra’s agricultural policies and cooperative sector, contributing immensely to the state’s rural and economic development. His influence in the cooperative movement, particularly in the sugar sector, has been widely acknowledged across party lines.

In 1999, Pawar founded the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after parting ways with the Congress. The split was triggered by his disagreement over Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin and her potential candidacy for the post of Prime Minister. Along with P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar, Pawar was expelled from Congress, a development that ultimately led to the formation of the NCP. Rather than deter him, the expulsion strengthened his resolve, and he went on to establish himself as a powerful national and regional political force.

Pawar first broke away from the Congress much earlier, in 1978, when he was 38 years old. Along with 40 MLAs, he formed the Progressive Democratic Front in alliance with the Janata Party and the Peasants and Workers Party. Following the collapse of the Congress government, he once again became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, at the time the youngest to ever hold the office. However, his government was dismissed in February 1980, cutting short his tenure.

Despite this setback, Pawar continued to remain a key figure in state politics. He returned as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister in 1993 and held the post for two years. In 1995, the state witnessed a shift in political dynamics as the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance came to power, with Manohar Joshi taking over as Chief Minister.

Decades later, Pawar staged a strong political comeback during the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Through an energetic campaign, he repositioned the NCP as a formidable player and helped the party secure additional seats. He also leveraged the widening rift between the Shiv Sena and the BJP, persuading the Shiv Sena to join hands with the NCP and the Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, with Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister.

However, the political landscape took another dramatic turn when a faction of the NCP led by Pawar’s nephew, Ajit Pawar, rebelled. Ajit aligned with the BJP, resulting in a short-lived government with Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister. Sharad Pawar responded firmly, warning defecting MLAs of action under anti-defection laws. Many legislators subsequently returned to the NCP fold. The brief government collapsed soon after, and Uddhav Thackeray was reinstated as Chief Minister under the MVA arrangement.

But Ajit Pawar parted ways with his uncle, and the ECI recognised his faction as the legitimate NCP, leading Sharad Pawar to form the NCP-SP

In recent years, Pawar has continued to exert significant influence despite political turbulence. After the recent elections in Maharashtra, the MVA moved to the opposition benches.

Even from the opposition, whether in the state or Centre, Sharad Pawar continues to be a commanding voice, actively questioning the policies and strategies of the ruling governments. His engagement with political, economic, and social issues remains undiminished, and he continues to be regarded as one of Maharashtra’s most seasoned and strategic leaders.

–IANS

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