Sharad Pawar Hints at Retirement, Announces He Will Not Contest Future Elections
Veteran politician and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, announced that he may retire from electoral politics, stating he would not contest any elections after his current term as a Rajya Sabha MP ends in 18 months. The 83-year-old leader, who has represented Baramati in multiple elections, made the announcement during a rally in the constituency, where he has been elected 14 times.
Pawar, who has been a key figure in Maharashtra politics for decades, emphasized that after his tenure in the Rajya Sabha concludes, he plans to step back from electoral politics. “I am not in power… and my tenure in the Rajya Sabha has one-and-a-half years left. After that, I will not contest any elections in the future. I will have to stop somewhere,” he said, acknowledging the trust voters had placed in him and his family over the years.
His comments come as he campaigns for his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar, who is contesting the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Interestingly, Ajit Pawar, his nephew, had split from the NCP last year, leading a rebellion and joining the ruling BJP-led alliance. This has created a stir within the party and the family, but Sharad Pawar downplayed any personal animosity, stating, “I have no grudge against him (Ajit Pawar)… he led you for nearly 30 years.”
Pawar also spoke about the need for a generational shift in leadership within the NCP. “Now it is time for me to prepare a young and dynamic leadership… which can take over for the next 30 years,” he added, rallying support for his grandnephew as part of the party’s future.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections, scheduled for November 20, 2024, will see the NCP-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance—comprising the NCP, Congress, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction)—battle the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the BJP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction). The vote counting and result declaration will take place on November 23, 2024.
Sharad Pawar’s statement signals a significant shift in his political career, possibly marking the end of an era for the NCP, as the party navigates the future under a new generation of leadership.
