After facing multiple defections from the rank and file of his party in the last two months, Sharad Pawar hit the ground running with his 6-day whirlwind tour of Marathawada and Western Maharashtra.
Sharad Pawar’s name was synonymous with power in Maharashtra for more than 3 decades. Today Pawar is fighting for survival against the axis of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, BJP-Shiv Sena’s state government, and the opportunism of his own lieutenants. Yet, what has not reduced him to a sorry figure is his grit and will to fight a political battle against the worst odds of his political life. Rather, Pawar is standing tall amidst the ruins in the opposition camp in Maharashtra. At the age of 78, he is the most active politician in the state. He has not only kept himself relevant but also ensured that there is no assured victory for Devendra Fadnavis in the forthcoming assembly election. It is the Pawar factor that is forcing the BJP to stitch an alliance with the Shiv Sena. Otherwise, all 3 opinion polls in the state have predicted a majority or almost a majority to the BJP on its own.
Column
Parimal Maya Sudhakar
27 Sep 2019
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