Pawar – The Opportunity ahead

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has managed to gain handsomely in Maharashtra assembly election 2019. With this, Pawar once again stood tall against the mighty BJP-Sena alliance. Pawar has taught a lesson to the Congress on how to fight and win an electoral battle, writes Rajendra Narahar Sathe.

Hyderabad: On last Friday, 79-year-old Sharad Pawar addressing a huge rally in Satara despite getting completely drenched in heavy rain was a spectacle of sorts. No wonder the pictures and videos of “Pawar in the rain” got hugely viral on the social media raising the hopes of the Nationalist Congress Party leaders that they will create some sympathy among the people.

Many thought that the same sympathy has worked for Pawar today. NCP has gained handsomely in today's result. Coming on the backdrop of large scale exodus which the party saw in the preceding six months, it is doubtlessly huge booster for its morale.

Sharad Pawar has fought many such battles in his life. In 1999 he went to the people with the NCP and its fresh symbol, within few months of the party's formation and won a sizeable number of seats. He was later equal partner with the Congress in the government, which lasted for the next 15 years.

Pawar is the man who is loved and hated a lot by many. Coming from a farmer's family in Western Maharashtra, he has a great bonding with many parts of rural Maharashtra. And it was evident during this year's campaign that he can connect with the today's youth equally easily.

Pawar always talks about the issues. He is seen to be a very pragmatic and practical man. He never makes any emotional appeals. He always likes to be in the people and keep his ear to the ground. That is why he travels only by road in all his campaigning. He hardly takes air route. He is never seen talking about the past and always lives in the present.

There have been a lot of rumours about him holding huge lands or property and many allegations in the past about his links with a businessman or even shady persons. But Pawar has sustained all this negative publicity over the period of time.

Incidentally, his name figuring in the ED's report could have proved to be quite damaging. But shrewd Pawar used this to his own advantage and created a sort of sympathy wave for him. And in the end, happened his meeting in the rain.

Politically the NCP has not been able to expand beyond certain limit. For example party is almost non-existant in Vidarbha or Mumbai. But it has strong presence in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada.

And though party does not exist on the ground the appeal of Pawar's personality is prevalant everywhere.

Secondly, Pawar's strong point is that he has been able to create a second rung leadership in the party in the form of Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Dhananjay Munde (who defeated Pankaja Munde).

At times, Pawar is seen to be a man who want to be in all the camps at the same time. It gives the reason for his detractors to be suspicious about him. For example, even at the height of Congress versus Modi saga, Pawar, as an Agriculture Minister had kept his relationship warm with Modi. That is why Modi once praised him as his Guru. Till a few years ago, his antipathy towards Gandhi family was a great hindarance between him and the Congress.

But with today's result things may change a little bit. In the first place Pawar has unequivocally ruled out any truck with Shiv Sena to form a government. Secondly he has praised all the Congress workers for working tirelessly. This could lead to melting of thaw.

Thirdly, at this age, Pawar must have realised that this could well be his last opportunity to increase his base further.

Fourthly, it could be seen that he was really moved by the response that he is getting from the youths who are ready to fight with the BJP and Shiv Sena in the state. And Pawar must be aware that this is a very unique situation in the entire country.

And he may not let this opportunity go waste. For him and for his party.