Sharad Pawar Signals Possible Retirement from Parliamentary Politics

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and senior politician Sharad Pawar hinted on Tuesday that he might leave parliamentary politics.

Speaking at a rally in Baramati ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra assembly election, Sharad Pawar stated that he has one and a half years left in his present term in the Rajya Sabha and will make the decision whether to run for another term once this one ends.

Pawar stated in the Baramati Assembly constituency’s Supe village campaign, “I have contested 14 elections from Baramati. You always elected me. It was because of you I became a legislator, minister, then chief minister four times. Then, you sent me to Lok Sabha as MP a few years ago. I decided not to contest general elections and became Rajya Sabha MP. I am an MP in Rajya Sabha, and my term will expire in one-and-a-half years. I am now thinking of not becoming a Rajya Sabha MP again.”

Sharad Pawar was campaigning for his grandnephew who is a NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar. Yugendra Pawar will face his uncle Ajit Pawar in the November 20 Assembly election. He is the son of Ajit Pawar’s younger brother Srinivas Pawar.

Pawar stated that he will continue his public service even though he will not be participating in provincial or electoral politics. The head of the NCP (SP) stated, “I handled the development and progress of Baramati for 30 years and then passed on the responsibility to Ajit Pawar for 30 years. This should continue. So, we need to give responsibility for the next 30 years to youth leadership to carry forward the legacy of public service in Baramati. Thus, Yugendra needs to be elected for this purpose in the Assembly election.”

While acknowledging the role that Ajit Pawar as the deputy chief minister played in Baramati, Sharad Pawar said that the area requires a new leader in order to progress over the next thirty years.

The Baramati Assembly election will be the Pawar family’s second battle following this year’s Lok Sabha election.

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