Sharad Pawar
Encyclopedia
Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar , popularly known as SAHEB (साहेब), is the president of the Nationalist Congress Party
which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress
. He has previously held the posts of Minister of Defence
and Chief Minister of Maharashtra and currently serves as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
, Government of India
.
Pawar is from the town of Baramati
in the Pune district
of Maharashtra
. He leads the NCP delegation in the Lok Sabha
, representing his constituency of Patna in Maharashtra. He has a prominent place in Indian national politics as well as regional politics of Maharashtra
, although marred by frequent corruption allegations.
Pawar also served as the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
from 2005 to 2008. In 2010, Sharad Pawar became the International Cricket Council
president after England's David Morgan.
. Most of siblings were well educated and were either professionals or ran their own businesses. Pawar studied at BrihanMaharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC)in Pune. He was an average student, however, active in student politics. Pawar's first political act was when he organized a protest march for Goan Independence in Pravaranagar in 1956.,
Pawar is married to Pratibha (Shinde). They have one daughter, Supriya
who is married to Sadanand Sule and now is active in politics. Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar is also a prominent politician in his own right. Pawar's younger brother, Pratap runs the influential Marathi daily, Sakal
Pawar also has allegations of corruption, especially, his nexus with Sugar cane mafia
for the first time in 1967 from Baramati
, representing the undivided Congress Party
. Yashwantrao Chavan
was the political mentor of Sharad Pawar.
Pawar broke away from the Congress to form a coalition MODI28 government with the opposition Janata Sangh
in 1978 becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the first time at a time when Indira Gandhi
had become incredibly unpopular due to her imposition of Emergency in 1975. This Progressive Democratic Front
government was dismissed in February 1980, following Indira Gandhi
's return to power at the Centre.
In the elections that followed, the Congress party won the majority in state assembly and A.R. Antulay,took over as the chief minister of the state. Pawar took over the Presidency of the Congress in 1981. For the first time, he won Lok Sabha
election from Baramati
parliamentary constituency in 1984. He also won state assembly elections of March 1985 from Baramati and preferred to continue in state politics for a while and resigned from the Lok Sabha. His party, the Indian Congress (Socialist)
won 54 seats out of 288 in the state assembly and he became the leader of the opposition
.
His returning to the Congress has been cited as a reason for the rise of the Shiv Sena
at that time. In June 1988, Prime Minister of India
and Congress President Rajiv Gandhi
decided to induct then Maharashtra Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan
into Union Cabinet as Finance Minister and Sharad Pawar was chosen to replace Chavan as chief minister. Sharad Pawar had the task of checking the rise of the Shiv Sena
in state politics, which was a potential challenge to the dominance of Congress party in the state. In 1989 Lok Sabha elections, Congress party won 28 seats out of 48 in Maharashtra. In the state assembly elections of February 1990, the alliance between the Shiv Sena
and the Bharatiya Janata Party
posed a stiff challenge to the Congress. Congress fell short of an absolute majority in the state assembly, winning 141 seats out 288. Sharad Pawar was sworn in as chief minister again on March 4, 1990 with the support of 12 independent MLAs.
was assassinated
. There were reports in the media that Pawar's name was being considered for the Prime Minister
's post along with those of P.V. Narasimha Rao and N.D. Tiwari. However the Congress Parliamentary Party elected P.V. Narasimha Rao as its leader and he was sworn in as Prime Minister on June 21, 1991. Rao decided to induct Pawar as Defence Minister
. On June 26, 1991, Pawar took over as that portfolio, continuing till March 1993. After Pawar's successor in Maharashtra, Sudhakarrao Naik
stepped down, Rao sent Pawar back as chief minister of the state.
He was sworn in as chief minister for his fourth and most controversial term on March 6, 1993. Almost immediately, Mumbai, the financial capital of India and the state capital of Maharashtra, was rocked with series of bomb blasts on March 12, 1993.
made a series of accusations against Pawar for being involved in corruption and protecting the criminals. Though Khairnar could not produce any evidence in support of his claims, it inevitably affected Pawar's popularity. Notable social worker Anna Hazare
started a fast unto death to demand expulsion of 12 officers of the Forest department of Government of Maharashtra, who had been accused of corruption. The opposition parties accused Pawar's government of trying to shield the corrupt officers. The 1994 Gowari stampede
occurred at Nagpur
during the Winter Session of Maharashtra State Assembly
and killed 114 people. Nagpur Police
were trying to disperse almost 50000 Gowari protesters using baton charge
but it created panic and triggered stampede amongst protesters. Allegations were made that the mishap occurred because welfare minister Madhukarrao Pichad did not meet with the delegation of the Vanjara people in time. Though Pichad stepped down owing moral responsibility for the mishap, this incident was another setback to Sharad Pawar's government.
The elections to the Vidhan Sabha
were due to be held in 1995. The Shiv Sena and BJP combine was leading the Congress in the polls, and there was widespread rebellion in the Congress party. The Shiv Sena-BJP combine won 138 seats while Congress party retained only 80 seats in the state assembly. Sharad Pawar had to step down and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi
took over as chief minister on March 14, 1995.
Till the Lok Sabha elections of 1996, Sharad Pawar served as the Leader of the Opposition
in State Legislative Council. In the 1996 General elections, he won from the Baramati seat and has not returned to the State Assembly since.
for the post of Congress President
. In the mid-term parliamentary elections of 1998, Sharad Pawar not only won from his constituency, Baramati but also led the Congress to an emphatic win in Maharashtra. His move to align with the Republican Party of India (Athvale)
and Samajwadi Party
for the elections in the state brought rich dividents and the Congress party and allies won 37 seats out of 48 in the state. Sharad Pawar served as Leader of Opposition in 12th Lok Sabha.
After 12th Lok Sabha was dissolved and elections to 13th Lok Sabha were due, Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar demanded that the Congress Party needed to project someone born in India as the Prime Ministerial candidate and not the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi
, who had entered party politics and replaced Kesri as Congress President.
In June 1999, Pawar and Sangma founded the Nationalist Congress Party
. His party had to align with the Congress party to form a coalition government in Maharashtra as neither party could win an absolute majority on its own in the 1999 assembly elections. Pawar, however, did not return to state politics, and Vilasrao Deshmukh
of the Congress was chosen as Chief Minister, with Chagan Bhujbal representing the NCP as his deputy. The alliance has endured at the national and state level to this day.
After 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he joined the United Progressive Alliance
government headed by Manmohan Singh
as the Minister of Agriculture.
On November 29, 2005, he was elected President of Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI).
He was appointed Union Minister of Agriculture and of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on May 28, 2009
made a statement that the state leader of Indian National Congress
party and erstwhile Chief Minister Sharad Pawar, had asked him to "go easy on Pappu Kalani
", a well known criminal-turned-politician now. Shiv Sena Chief, Bal Thakare, had later concurred with these allegations. Further, Sudhakarrao also alleged that it was possible that Kalani and Hitendra Thakur
, another criminal-turned-politician from Virar
, had been given tickets to contest election for Maharashtra State Legislature at the behest of Sharad Pawar who also put in a word for Naik with the police when the latter was arrested for his role in post-Babri Masjid Demolition riots in Mumbai.
cited Pawar's name in relation to the 600 billion rupee stamp-paper scam, during a narcoanalysis filmed by various Indian news channels, wherein he also mentioned Chhagan Bhujbal
The BJP
asked for Pawar's resignation after alleging he was involved in a multi-crore
scam involving wheat imports. In May 2007 a tender floated by the Food Corporation of India
for procurement of wheat was cancelled when the lowest bid received was for 263 USD/ton. The government subsequently allowed private traders to purchase wheat directly from farmers that year resulting in a paucity of wheat to stock FCI granaries. By July 2007 the shortage at FCI was large enough to require import of wheat at a much higher price of 320–360 USD/ton. Taking advantage of this, traders who had domestically purchased wheat at 900 INR/ton earlier, were now offering the same to FCI at 1,300 INR/ton.
On October 27, 2007, the Bombay High Court served notices to institutions headed by Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and Sadanand Sule (Sharad Pawar's son-in-law) along with a corresponding notice served to the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC) on why special privileges were given to Pawar and his family. This was done in consideration of a Public Interest Litigation
No. 148 of 2006, filed by Shamsunder Potare alleging that the land said allocations in Pune
, made in 2002, were illegal. The institutions and properties mentioned include:
These allocations were made allegedly under NCP leader and minister Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar who was in charge of MKVDC at the time. Sharad Pawar was served a contempt of court
notice on May 1, 2008 in connection with this case for issuing statements to the press even though the matter was subjudice at the time, that was later rejected by the court. Also in connection with the case, the respondents were directed not to create third-party interests in the property under dispute and to undertake any developments at their own risk.
While Pawar had declared that he is no richer than 3.6 crore rupees, the recent IPL Pune team bidding has revealed his 16% stake in City finance. IPL Pune team is supposedly worth 1200 crore rupees. Likewise, his 0.05% stake in Royal Challengers Bangalore team is alone worth 6 crores. The Pawars had consistently denied any IPL stake, but have now had to declare it publicly.
Pawar is also listed on the No Criminals website as an incriminated offender of the Religion Institution Act 1988 (Prevention of Misuse).
Ever since he has been appointed Cabinet Minister for Agriculture, Pawar has been consistently accused of being incapable of handling the extreme hike in prices of agricultural produce.
, was later arrested. All leading political parties in India condemned the attack.
by common people, however politicians argued that violence should not be used as a means of raising concern. There were also several fan pages created on Facebook. There were parallels drawn with revolutionary and martyr Bhagat Singh, and pages advocating the shaming of more corrupt politicians..
India Today
reported that the opinion of the general public was in favour of further shaming of corrupt people holding public office.. There was also widespread criticism of the NCP's call for a bandh
. An opinion poll conducted by DNA India showed that people praised the attack on Sharad Pawar and public expressed happiness one of them did this to corrupt politicians like Pawar.
has been banned almost all over the world, India is the only one country which is against global banning of Endosulfan. Inspite of its known negative health effects, Sharad Pawar made a remark that Endosulfan is not yet proved dangerous. This remark prompted activist Vandana Shiva to call him a corrupt minister.
, wrestling
and football.
He has served as the head of various sports organizations, including
Pawar was president of Pune International Marathon Trust, which host Pune International Marathon for last 22 years.
Nationalist Congress Party
The Nationalist Congress Party is a centre to centre left political party primarily based in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Background:...
which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. He has previously held the posts of Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (India)
The Minister of Defence is the head of the Ministry of Defence and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India.-List of Cabinet Ministers of Defence :* Baldev Singh * Kailash Nath Katju * V. K...
and Chief Minister of Maharashtra and currently serves as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (India)
The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is the head of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India....
, Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
Pawar is from the town of Baramati
Baramati
Baramati is a city and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India.Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Baramati. The main food crops grown include sugarcane, grapes, and cotton...
in the Pune district
Pune District
Pune District is situated in Maharashtra state of India. Pune city is the district headquarters. In the last census on 2001, the total population of the district was 7,232,555, making it the fourth most populous district in India . Urban population comprises 58.08% of the total population...
of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. He leads the NCP delegation in the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
, representing his constituency of Patna in Maharashtra. He has a prominent place in Indian national politics as well as regional politics of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, although marred by frequent corruption allegations.
Pawar also served as the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
from 2005 to 2008. In 2010, Sharad Pawar became the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
president after England's David Morgan.
Early life and family history
Pawar is one of the eleven children (seven sons and four daughters) born to Govindrao Pawar and Shardabai (nee, Bhonsle). Govindrao was employed by the Baramati farmers' Cooperative ( Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Sangh) whilst his mother looked after the family farm at Katewadi, ten kilometers from BaramatiBaramati
Baramati is a city and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India.Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Baramati. The main food crops grown include sugarcane, grapes, and cotton...
. Most of siblings were well educated and were either professionals or ran their own businesses. Pawar studied at BrihanMaharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC)in Pune. He was an average student, however, active in student politics. Pawar's first political act was when he organized a protest march for Goan Independence in Pravaranagar in 1956.,
Pawar is married to Pratibha (Shinde). They have one daughter, Supriya
Supriya Sule
Supriya Sule is an Indian politician from the Nationalist Congress Party and currently a Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha . She is the daughter of the President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar. In 2009, she contested the elections for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency...
who is married to Sadanand Sule and now is active in politics. Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar is also a prominent politician in his own right. Pawar's younger brother, Pratap runs the influential Marathi daily, Sakal
Sakal
Sakal is a Marathi language daily newspaper headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Sakal is the flagship newspaper of the foundation publication, Sakal Media Group. Present newspaper circulation of Sakal is approximately 1.5 million copies per day, mainly in Maharashtra...
Pawar also has allegations of corruption, especially, his nexus with Sugar cane mafia
Till 1990
Sharad Pawar entered the Maharashtra legislative assemblyLegislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....
for the first time in 1967 from Baramati
Baramati
Baramati is a city and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India.Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Baramati. The main food crops grown include sugarcane, grapes, and cotton...
, representing the undivided Congress Party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. Yashwantrao Chavan
Yashwantrao Chavan
Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the division of Bombay State and the fifth Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was a strong Congress leader, Cooperative leader, social activist and writer. He was popularly known as Leader of Common People...
was the political mentor of Sharad Pawar.
Pawar broke away from the Congress to form a coalition MODI28 government with the opposition Janata Sangh
Bharatiya Jana Sangh
The Bharatiya Jana Sangh existed from 1951 to 1980, whereupon it was succeeded by the Bharatiya Janata Party, one of India's largest political parties...
in 1978 becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the first time at a time when Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
had become incredibly unpopular due to her imposition of Emergency in 1975. This Progressive Democratic Front
Progressive Democratic Front
Progressive Democratic Front is a political front in the Indian state of Kerala. It was founded in April 2004 and consisted of the National Janata Party, Janata Dal , Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Party, Secular National Dravida Party, Shiv Sena and Samajwadi Party. None of these parties carry any...
government was dismissed in February 1980, following Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
's return to power at the Centre.
In the elections that followed, the Congress party won the majority in state assembly and A.R. Antulay,took over as the chief minister of the state. Pawar took over the Presidency of the Congress in 1981. For the first time, he won Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
election from Baramati
Baramati
Baramati is a city and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India.Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Baramati. The main food crops grown include sugarcane, grapes, and cotton...
parliamentary constituency in 1984. He also won state assembly elections of March 1985 from Baramati and preferred to continue in state politics for a while and resigned from the Lok Sabha. His party, the Indian Congress (Socialist)
Indian Congress (Socialist)
Indian Congress was a political party in India between 1978 and 1986. The party was formed through a split in the Indian National Congress. Initially the party was known as the Indian National Congress and was led by D. Devraj Urs. It broke away from the parent party in 1978 following Indira...
won 54 seats out of 288 in the state assembly and he became the leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government...
.
His returning to the Congress has been cited as a reason for the rise of the Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
at that time. In June 1988, Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
and Congress President Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
decided to induct then Maharashtra Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan
Shankarrao Chavan
Shankarrao Bhavrao Chavan was an Indian politician who served twice as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1975 until 1977 and from 13 March 1986 until 24 June 1988...
into Union Cabinet as Finance Minister and Sharad Pawar was chosen to replace Chavan as chief minister. Sharad Pawar had the task of checking the rise of the Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
in state politics, which was a potential challenge to the dominance of Congress party in the state. In 1989 Lok Sabha elections, Congress party won 28 seats out of 48 in Maharashtra. In the state assembly elections of February 1990, the alliance between the Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
and the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
posed a stiff challenge to the Congress. Congress fell short of an absolute majority in the state assembly, winning 141 seats out 288. Sharad Pawar was sworn in as chief minister again on March 4, 1990 with the support of 12 independent MLAs.
Early 1990s
During the course of election campaign, former Prime Minister Rajiv GandhiRajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
was assassinated
Thenmuli Rajaratnam
Thenmozhi "Gayatri" Rajaratnam was the assassin who killed Rajiv Gandhi, herself, and 14 others in a suicide bombing on May 21, 1991, in the Indian town of Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, near Chennai. A member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , Rajaratnam was also known as Gayatri and Dhanu...
. There were reports in the media that Pawar's name was being considered for the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
's post along with those of P.V. Narasimha Rao and N.D. Tiwari. However the Congress Parliamentary Party elected P.V. Narasimha Rao as its leader and he was sworn in as Prime Minister on June 21, 1991. Rao decided to induct Pawar as Defence Minister
Defence minister
A defence minister is a person in a cabinet position in charge of a Ministry of Defence, which regulates the armed forces in some sovereign nations...
. On June 26, 1991, Pawar took over as that portfolio, continuing till March 1993. After Pawar's successor in Maharashtra, Sudhakarrao Naik
Sudhakarrao Naik
Sudhakarrao Rajusing Naik was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 25 June 1991 until 22 February 1993...
stepped down, Rao sent Pawar back as chief minister of the state.
He was sworn in as chief minister for his fourth and most controversial term on March 6, 1993. Almost immediately, Mumbai, the financial capital of India and the state capital of Maharashtra, was rocked with series of bomb blasts on March 12, 1993.
Mid 1990s
The Deputy Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, G R KhairnarG R Khairnar
Govind Ragho Khairnar is a former civil servant in Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation who rose from the rank of Clerk to Deputy Commissioner. He was known for his uprightness and fearlessness while carrying out his duties in the face of political opposition. He was brought to trial for...
made a series of accusations against Pawar for being involved in corruption and protecting the criminals. Though Khairnar could not produce any evidence in support of his claims, it inevitably affected Pawar's popularity. Notable social worker Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare
Kisan Baburao Hazare , popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist and a prominent leader in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi...
started a fast unto death to demand expulsion of 12 officers of the Forest department of Government of Maharashtra, who had been accused of corruption. The opposition parties accused Pawar's government of trying to shield the corrupt officers. The 1994 Gowari stampede
1994 Gowari stampede
The 1994 Gowari stampede occurred at Nagpur, India on 23 November 1994 in which 114 people from the Gowari community were killed and 500 more injured. Nagpur Police were trying to disperse almost 50000 Gowari protesters using baton charge but it created panic and triggered stampede amongst...
occurred at Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
during the Winter Session of Maharashtra State Assembly
Winter Session of Maharashtra State Assembly
The Winter Session of the Maharashtra Legislature, which includes both of its houses, the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and the Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad, is held in Nagpur in November–December every year. Nagpur is the auxiliary capital of the state....
and killed 114 people. Nagpur Police
Nagpur Police
Nagpur police is the law enforcement and investigation division of the Indian Police Service with jurisdiction over Nagpur district and Nagpur city. Nagpur police has four zones and operates from 23 police stations spread across the city. It also has the responsibility of traffic policing the city...
were trying to disperse almost 50000 Gowari protesters using baton charge
Baton charge
A baton charge is a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people, usually used by police or military during public order situations. In certain countries, police are not authorised to use the tactic unless no other means can be practiced....
but it created panic and triggered stampede amongst protesters. Allegations were made that the mishap occurred because welfare minister Madhukarrao Pichad did not meet with the delegation of the Vanjara people in time. Though Pichad stepped down owing moral responsibility for the mishap, this incident was another setback to Sharad Pawar's government.
The elections to the Vidhan Sabha
Vidhan Sabha
The Vidhan Sabha or the Legislative Assembly is the lower house or the sole house of the provincial legislature in the different states of India. The same name is also used for the lower house of the legislatures for two of the union territories, Delhi and Pondicherry...
were due to be held in 1995. The Shiv Sena and BJP combine was leading the Congress in the polls, and there was widespread rebellion in the Congress party. The Shiv Sena-BJP combine won 138 seats while Congress party retained only 80 seats in the state assembly. Sharad Pawar had to step down and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi
Manohar Joshi
Manohar Gajanan Joshi, is an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra. He is one of the prominent leaders of the Shiv Sena political party. He was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1995–1999.-Background and family:...
took over as chief minister on March 14, 1995.
Till the Lok Sabha elections of 1996, Sharad Pawar served as the Leader of the Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
in State Legislative Council. In the 1996 General elections, he won from the Baramati seat and has not returned to the State Assembly since.
1997 till date
In June 1997, he unsuccessfully challenged Sitaram KesriSitaram Kesri
Sitaram Kesri was elected to the Lok Sabha from Katihar Lok Sabha Constituency when he won on a janata party ticket and was given a last moment call by then Bihar Janata Party President S N Sinha; he represented Bihar in the Rajya Sabha several times: July 1971 to April 1974, April 1974 to April...
for the post of Congress President
Congress President
The President of the All India Congress Committee, and therefore of the Indian National Congress Party as a whole, is known as the Congress President.-History:...
. In the mid-term parliamentary elections of 1998, Sharad Pawar not only won from his constituency, Baramati but also led the Congress to an emphatic win in Maharashtra. His move to align with the Republican Party of India (Athvale)
Republican Party of India (Athvale)
The Republican Party of India is a political party in India, a splinter group of the old Ambedkarite Republican Party of India. The president of the party is Ramdas Athvale....
and Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
for the elections in the state brought rich dividents and the Congress party and allies won 37 seats out of 48 in the state. Sharad Pawar served as Leader of Opposition in 12th Lok Sabha.
After 12th Lok Sabha was dissolved and elections to 13th Lok Sabha were due, Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar demanded that the Congress Party needed to project someone born in India as the Prime Ministerial candidate and not the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
, who had entered party politics and replaced Kesri as Congress President.
In June 1999, Pawar and Sangma founded the Nationalist Congress Party
Nationalist Congress Party
The Nationalist Congress Party is a centre to centre left political party primarily based in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Background:...
. His party had to align with the Congress party to form a coalition government in Maharashtra as neither party could win an absolute majority on its own in the 1999 assembly elections. Pawar, however, did not return to state politics, and Vilasrao Deshmukh
Vilasrao Deshmukh
Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh , popularly known as Vilasrao is the current Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences....
of the Congress was chosen as Chief Minister, with Chagan Bhujbal representing the NCP as his deputy. The alliance has endured at the national and state level to this day.
After 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he joined the United Progressive Alliance
United Progressive Alliance
The United Progressive Alliance is a ruling coalition of center-left political parties heading the government of India. The coalition is led by the Indian National Congress , which is currently the single largest political party in the Lok Sabha...
government headed by Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
as the Minister of Agriculture.
On November 29, 2005, he was elected President of Board of Control for Cricket in India
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
(BCCI).
He was appointed Union Minister of Agriculture and of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on May 28, 2009
The criminal-politician nexus
In 2002–03, the then Maharashtra Chief Minister SudhakarraoSudhakarrao Naik
Sudhakarrao Rajusing Naik was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 25 June 1991 until 22 February 1993...
made a statement that the state leader of Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
party and erstwhile Chief Minister Sharad Pawar, had asked him to "go easy on Pappu Kalani
Pappu Kalani
Pappu Kalani is an Indian criminal-politician from Ulhasnagar . After emerging as the leader of an organized crimesyndicate in the 1980s, he won elections for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in...
", a well known criminal-turned-politician now. Shiv Sena Chief, Bal Thakare, had later concurred with these allegations. Further, Sudhakarrao also alleged that it was possible that Kalani and Hitendra Thakur
Hitendra Thakur
Hitendra Thakur is an Indian politician from Virar, Maharashtra, India. He is the president of Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi, a political party in the Vasai-Virar region of Maharashtra, India.. He and his brother Jayendra are accused of being leaders of the underworld in the Vasai-Virar suburb of Mumbai...
, another criminal-turned-politician from Virar
Virar
Virar is a name of a suburb of Northern Mumbai. Virar is a city and a part of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation in Thane district in the Indian state of Maharashtra....
, had been given tickets to contest election for Maharashtra State Legislature at the behest of Sharad Pawar who also put in a word for Naik with the police when the latter was arrested for his role in post-Babri Masjid Demolition riots in Mumbai.
Allegations of corruption
Abdul Karim TelgiAbdul Karim Telgi
Abdul Karim Telgi is a convicted counterfeiter from India. He earned money by printing counterfeit stamp paper in India.-Early life:...
cited Pawar's name in relation to the 600 billion rupee stamp-paper scam, during a narcoanalysis filmed by various Indian news channels, wherein he also mentioned Chhagan Bhujbal
The BJP
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
asked for Pawar's resignation after alleging he was involved in a multi-crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
scam involving wheat imports. In May 2007 a tender floated by the Food Corporation of India
Food Corporation of India
Food Corporation of India was setup on 14th January 1965 having its first District Office at Thanjavur - rice bowl of Tamil Nadu - and headquarters at Chennai under the Food Corporations Act 1964 to implement the following objectives of the National Food Policy :# Effective price support...
for procurement of wheat was cancelled when the lowest bid received was for 263 USD/ton. The government subsequently allowed private traders to purchase wheat directly from farmers that year resulting in a paucity of wheat to stock FCI granaries. By July 2007 the shortage at FCI was large enough to require import of wheat at a much higher price of 320–360 USD/ton. Taking advantage of this, traders who had domestically purchased wheat at 900 INR/ton earlier, were now offering the same to FCI at 1,300 INR/ton.
On October 27, 2007, the Bombay High Court served notices to institutions headed by Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and Sadanand Sule (Sharad Pawar's son-in-law) along with a corresponding notice served to the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC) on why special privileges were given to Pawar and his family. This was done in consideration of a Public Interest Litigation
Public interest litigation
In Indian law, Public Interest Litigation OR जनहित याचिका means litigation for the protection of the public interest. It is litigation introduced in a court of law, not by the aggrieved party but by the court itself or by any other private party...
No. 148 of 2006, filed by Shamsunder Potare alleging that the land said allocations in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, made in 2002, were illegal. The institutions and properties mentioned include:
- Two 141.15 acre (0.571214289 km²) plots given allotted to Vidya Pratishthan, an educational society headed by Sharad Pawar
- A 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) plot allotted to Anant Smriti Pratishthan, headed by Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra state minister for irrigation and Sharad Pawar's nephew
- A 130,000 square metre (32.12 acre) plot allotted to Lavasa Corporation, owned by Sadanand Sule, Sharad Pawar's son-in-law at the time. He handed over his stake in 2006.
- A 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) plot allotted to Shivajinagar Agriculture College
- A 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) plot allotted to Sharadchandraji Scout and Guide Training Institute
These allocations were made allegedly under NCP leader and minister Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar who was in charge of MKVDC at the time. Sharad Pawar was served a contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
notice on May 1, 2008 in connection with this case for issuing statements to the press even though the matter was subjudice at the time, that was later rejected by the court. Also in connection with the case, the respondents were directed not to create third-party interests in the property under dispute and to undertake any developments at their own risk.
While Pawar had declared that he is no richer than 3.6 crore rupees, the recent IPL Pune team bidding has revealed his 16% stake in City finance. IPL Pune team is supposedly worth 1200 crore rupees. Likewise, his 0.05% stake in Royal Challengers Bangalore team is alone worth 6 crores. The Pawars had consistently denied any IPL stake, but have now had to declare it publicly.
Pawar is also listed on the No Criminals website as an incriminated offender of the Religion Institution Act 1988 (Prevention of Misuse).
Ever since he has been appointed Cabinet Minister for Agriculture, Pawar has been consistently accused of being incapable of handling the extreme hike in prices of agricultural produce.
- Wheat import in 2007 – Bombay High Court issued notices to Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, questioning the decision to import defective red wheat and to submit details of procurement of the crop from different states and the exact process of importing it.
- Sugar prices in 2009 – Opposition parties, including the BJP and the CPI(M) accused Sharad Pawar of engineering a steep rise in the price of sugar to the advantage of hoarders and importers.
- Onion prices in 2010–11 – The opposition have accused him to be responsible on the same issue.
Slapped by youth over corruption and price rise
Pawar was slapped by a youth named Harvinder Singh at a the New Delhi Municipal Corporation centre while leaving the premises after attending a literary function on 24 November 2011. The attacker, who previously is said to have assaulted former telecom minister Sukh RamSukh Ram
Sukh Ram is a former union communications minister in Indian National Congress Government. He was a member of Lok Sabha from Mandi constituency of Himachal Pradesh. He won the Vidhan Sabha election five times and the Lok sabha election three times....
, was later arrested. All leading political parties in India condemned the attack.
Praise for Harvinder Singh
The youth who slapped Pawar was highly praised on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
by common people, however politicians argued that violence should not be used as a means of raising concern. There were also several fan pages created on Facebook. There were parallels drawn with revolutionary and martyr Bhagat Singh, and pages advocating the shaming of more corrupt politicians..
India Today
India Today
India Today is an Indian weekly news magazine published by Living Media India Limited, in publication since 1975 based in Mumbai. India Today is also the name of its sister-publication in Hindi...
reported that the opinion of the general public was in favour of further shaming of corrupt people holding public office.. There was also widespread criticism of the NCP's call for a bandh
Bandh
Bandh , originally a Hindi word meaning 'closed', is a form of protest used by political activists in some countries like India and Nepal. During a Bandh, a political party or a community declares a general strike....
. An opinion poll conducted by DNA India showed that people praised the attack on Sharad Pawar and public expressed happiness one of them did this to corrupt politicians like Pawar.
Endosulfan
Even though EndosulfanEndosulfan
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globally. Endosulfan became a highly controversial agrichemical due to its acute toxicity, potential for bioaccumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor...
has been banned almost all over the world, India is the only one country which is against global banning of Endosulfan. Inspite of its known negative health effects, Sharad Pawar made a remark that Endosulfan is not yet proved dangerous. This remark prompted activist Vandana Shiva to call him a corrupt minister.
Sports administration
Pawar has interests in kabbadi, kho khoKho Kho
Kho Kho is an Indian and Pakistani sport played by teams of twelve players who try to avoid being touched by members of the opposing team, only 9 players of the team enter the field...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and football.
He has served as the head of various sports organizations, including
- Mumbai Cricket AssociationMumbai Cricket AssociationThe Mumbai cricket Association or MCA is the governing body for cricket in Mumbai and its surrounding regions like Thane and Navi Mumbai. The association comes under west zone .The Association was established in 1930 and has a sound ConstitutionThe Mumbai cricket team is the team for The Mumbai...
- MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
Wrestling Association - MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
Kabbadi Association - MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
Kho Kho Association - Maharastra Olympics Association
- Board of Control for Cricket in IndiaBoard of Control for Cricket in IndiaThe Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
President 2005 – 2008 - International Cricket CouncilInternational Cricket CouncilThe International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
Vice President - International Cricket CouncilInternational Cricket CouncilThe International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
President
Pawar was president of Pune International Marathon Trust, which host Pune International Marathon for last 22 years.
See also
- Ajit Pawar, MLA, his nephew
- Supriya SuleSupriya SuleSupriya Sule is an Indian politician from the Nationalist Congress Party and currently a Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha . She is the daughter of the President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar. In 2009, she contested the elections for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency...
, his daughter, MP Loksabha
Further reading
- P. K. Ravindranath (February 1, 1992) Sharad Pawar- the making of a modern maratha South Asia Books. ISBN 81-85674-46-9
- Page 23 of the Times of India, New Delhi, Tuesday, December 12, 2006.
External links
- Profile at BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
- Profile at Govt. of India website