Sharad Pawar, 83, to retire from politics? NCP stalwart reveals future plan

Sharad Pawar, a pivotal figure in Maharashtra politics for over six decades, hinted at retirement on Tuesday, saying he would not contest any future elections and would work towards mentoring the younger generation. Pawar, 83, said he would have to “stop somewhere”, hinting that the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls would be his last frontier before he bows out of politics.
Addressing a meeting in Baramati, while campaigning for his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar, Pawar said, “I am not in power. I am definitely in Rajya Sabha. There is still one-and-a half years left. But after 1.5 years, I will have to think about whether to go to Rajya Sabha or not. I will not contest Lok Sabha. I will not contest any election.”
Pawar, who has been undefeated in his 57 years of electoral politics since he first became MLA from Baramati in 1967, however, said he would continue serving and working for the people. He also shed light on his principle.
“I have contested 14 times. You (people) did not send me home even once. You elected me every time. But, I will have to stop somewhere… I will have to bring the new generation forward. I am working with this principle. This does not mean that I have left social work. But I do not want power. I will keep serving and working for the people,” Pawar said.
A deft politician who has admirers cutting across political lines, Pawar served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra four times and held vital Union Cabinet portfolios like Defence and Agriculture during the UPA regime. Pawar formed the NCP in 1999 and the party witnessed a split in 2023 after his nephew Ajit Pawar formed a separate faction.
A year ago, the Maratha strongman had rubbished retirement rumours, saying he was “neither tired nor retired”. The remark was a retort to Ajit Pawar’s statement that he should retire from active politics on account of his age.
“You have made me the Chief Minister not once or twice but four times. You elected me in 1967, and I worked here for 25 years before moving on to work for Maharashtra. Now, it’s time to prepare for the future. We need to groom leadership that will work for the next 30 years,” Pawar said in Baramati.