PUNE: An 83-year-old veteran politician, Chief of NCP (SCP) Sharad Pawar, on Tuesday hinted at retiring from active politics. Addressing a rally in his hometown of Baramati, Pawar said that he will be rethinking if he really wants to go to Rajya Sabha again once his term gets over after one and a half years.
Pawar is currently a Rajya Sabha member, and his one and a half years’ term is still left. “After finishing the remaining one and a half years of the Rajya Sabha term, I will have to give a thought if I should again go to Rajya Sabha or not. I will not be contesting any elections,” Pawar said while addressing a rally in Supe village of Baramati on Tuesday.
The Lok Sabha elections of 2009 were the last polls which Sharad Pawar contested, and he won the then newly carved Madha constituency. That was the only time Pawar contested the polls out of his bastion Baramati, making a way for his daughter Supriya to contest from Pawar’s stronghold.
On Tuesday also, Pawar said that he wants to make a way for the younger generation. “I have contested 14 elections, and every time people ensure my win. However, I have to stop somewhere and make a way for the younger generation. It does not mean that I will be away from social work also. I will continue to work in social life. I do not want power, but I will continue to work for the common people,” he said in his speech.
On May 2, 2023, Pawar announced stepping down as the Chief of NCP during an event in Mumbai. While his nephew Ajit Pawar, who was still with him, was in favour of his decision to resign, the other party workers pursued him to take back his resignation. Exactly two months after this episode, Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle and joined BJP-Shiv Sena to be part of the govt.