Anil Anand
Has Mr Sharad Pawar closed the chapter of succession war in Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)? The debate on this question might linger on for some more time as it is an opportunity for the nay-sayers lobby and those apt at fishing in troubled waters to raise their own political graph which is the current political order.
As was pointed out by this writer in an earlier write-up that tradition and thumb rule in India politics is that a ward of the leader has to be his or her successor. Mr Pawar has steadfastly stuck to this rule when he declared his daughter and Lok Sabha MP from family pocket borough Baramati in Maharashtra, Supriya Sule, as one of the two working-presidents. Not only that she among others was also made in charge of Maharashtra- the birth place and mainstay of the party. This announcement came on the day the party was celebrating silver jubilee of its Foundation Day. To bring clarity on the succession issue on this day has its own significance and a message to deliver to the party-persons.
Using the plateform he has sent a clear message to the party cadre that his daughter will be his successor and carry forward his legacy. She has also been given responsibilities in states like Haryana, and Punjab apart from Maharashtra which, obviously, will be micromanaged by him as the all-towering party president.
Did it take his nephew and self-professed successor of Sharad Pawar legacy, Ajit Pawar by surprise? And where does he stand now having been disarmed by his uncle? Not once but twice and with aplomb. With this Sharad Pawar has also checkmated BJP attempts to divide NCP using his nephew.
No one would ever know unless Ajit himself decides to open up some day about what happened and his position. But one thing is clear that Pawar senior has left no one in doubt that he as founder of the NCP still remains to be its unchalenged master. And the final arbiter notwithstanding either failing health or age. Only time, in the recent past, if the octogenarian leader found his political guiles falling short was when he lost out the race for the Prime Minister’s chair to P V Narasimha Rao that led to NCP taking birth.
In some terms Mr Pawar has also checkmated a possible second contender for his legacy, a close aide Praful Patel. Though he has been named as the second working president, his wings have also been quietly clipped by keeping him away from Maharashtra which is not only the NCP’s mainstay but also Mr Patel’s home state. As a mark of goodwill, he has been made in charge of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Goa and Jharkhand. Though politically significant, NCP almost has no say in these states.
Speaking in the true lawn tennis terms, Mr Pawar has smashed two sizzling aces within two months to corner his nephew. First it was his resignation as NCP chief on May 2,2023. And now declaring his daughter along with another trusted aide Praful Patel as the two working presidents. However much one might say that Ajit Pawar’s failed move to side with the BJP in an early morning “coup” and subsequent murmurs that he was again working on the same formula, had the “tacit backing” of Uncle Pawar, the latter’s latest move has overturned all theories for the time being.
But anyone would reach at a final conclusion about Sharad Pawar’s moves at his or her own risk.
Also, despite his saying that he initiated the move (making his daughter one of the working presidents) on the suggestion of his nephew, the Pawar senior has clearly preferred his daughter over his nephew thereby vindicating the golden thumb rule of Indian politics. Who knows Ajit Pawar ends up becoming Maharashtra chief minister in fulfillment of his ambition after next assembly elections if NCP has more MLAs than the Maharashtra Vikas Agadi alliance partners Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackery)?
This, a group within NCP firmly feels has been the deal between Sharad Pawar and his nephew. “Work hard on ground, win more seats for NCP and become chief minister”, has been his uncle’s word, of course, with his daughter as the Maharashtra in charge of the party.
There is no word of confirmation about this deal from Sharad Pawar’s quarters. While such theories are being propounded to counter the buzz that all is not well within the Pawar clan, its head has struck according to his own will and at time of his choice.
A close scrutiny of the NCP developments over the months did point towards beneath the surface unease in the party with Ajit Pawar becoming restive by the day. Obviously, as an understudy of his uncle and himself a shrewd reader of the game of politics, he was clearly visualizing the shadow of the coming events to decide the successor issue.
Sharad Pawar very cleverly turned the focus unto himself by announcing his resignation and subsequently withdrawing it “as per wishes of the party rank and file”. Thereby he emerged as the sole trustee of the NCP by rallying the entire party behind him and isolating his nephew. And now appointing his daughter as the working president.
Ostensibly, he knows that his strength in the non-BJP opposition camp lies in maintaining his hold over NCP and thereby on Maharashtra affairs. Weakening of position or erosion of authority in the party would certainly have an impact on his standing as a key player in the game of opposition unity. Fact remains that he is one of the seniormost leaders in the country’s politics today who has links and friends cutting across party lines that could prove handy in bringing the non-NDA political parties together to face the Narendra Modi-led BJP in next general elections.
Already the opposition leaders are looking up to him to play an important role in sewing the combine and readying it for the Lok Sabha elections. There is already buzz that he could either be made convenor/chairperson of the new conglomerate or at least asked to draw a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) for the prospective alliance partners to adopt.
It was crucial for him at such a juncture to bring clarity in his own party first unlike the Congress. With NCP’s presence limited mostly to Maharashtra, confusion in his own party on the issue of succession would not have stood him in good stead in the national political scenario. It is another matter that Mr Pawar in the twilight of his political career has nothing to prove. But at the same time lot to prove to stay relevant.
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