The article reports on the recent resignation of Sharad Pawar as the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which he founded and led since 1999. The surprise announcement was made during the launch of a revised version of his autobiography and was met with protests from party workers and leaders. Sanjay Raut, a leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) party, which is a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance along with the NCP and Congress, called Pawar the “soul of Maharashtra politics” and compared his decision to the resignation of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Pawar has been a key figure in Maharashtra politics, having served as the state’s chief minister four times and holding various cabinet positions in the Union government. A four-time Maharashtra chief minister, who served as Union Defence and Agriculture minister, Pawar was instrumental in stitching together an unlikely coalition of the NCP, Congress and then ideologically opposite Shiv Sena to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections
Sharad Pawar, who has just announced his resignation as the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has had a long and illustrious political career. He has served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on four occasions, and has also held various important portfolios in the Union Cabinet, including Defence and Agriculture.
Pawar is known for his political acumen and his ability to stitch together alliances. In 2019, he played a crucial role in forming the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, which brought together ideologically diverse parties like the NCP, Congress, and Shiv Sena.