PM Modi wishes Sharad Pawar on his birthday, prays for his long and healthy life

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended birthday greetings to Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar wishing him a long and healthy lifePM Modi took to the social media platform X and wrote ldquoBirthday wishes to Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sharad Pawar Ji Wishing him a long and healthy lifeBirthday wishes to Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sharad Pawar Ji Wishing him a long and healthy lifePawarSpeaksmdash Narendra Modi narendramodi December 12 2025Sharad Pawar a towering figure in Maharashtra politics is the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party NCP The 84yearold leader has had a long eventful career marked by major achievements as well as controversies His public life spanning over six decades began in 1958 when he joined the Youth Congress Pawar later went on to become the youngest Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the age of 37 a position he held four times over the course of his career He also served as Indiarsquos Defence Minister from 1991 to 1993 under then Prime Minister PV Narasimha RaoThroughout his political journey Pawar has played a significant role in shaping Maharashtrarsquos agricultural policies and cooperative sector contributing immensely to the statersquos rural and economic development His influence in the cooperative movement particularly in the sugar sector has been widely acknowledged across party linesIn 1999 Pawar founded the Nationalist Congress Party NCP after parting ways with the Congress The split was triggered by his disagreement over Sonia Gandhirsquos foreign origin and her potential candidacy for the post of Prime Minister Along with PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar Pawar was expelled from Congress a development that ultimately led to the formation of the NCP Rather than deter him the expulsion strengthened his resolve and he went on to establish himself as a powerful national and regional political forcePawar first broke away from the Congress much earlier in 1978 when he was 38 years old Along with 40 MLAs he formed the Progressive Democratic Front in alliance with the Janata Party and the Peasants and Workers Party Following the collapse of the Congress government he once again became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the time the youngest to ever hold the office However his government was dismissed in February 1980 cutting short his tenureDespite this setback Pawar continued to remain a key figure in state politics He returned as Maharashtrarsquos Chief Minister in 1993 and held the post for two years In 1995 the state witnessed a shift in political dynamics as the Shiv SenaBJP alliance came to power with Manohar Joshi taking over as Chief MinisterDecades later Pawar staged a strong political comeback during the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections Through an energetic campaign he repositioned the NCP as a formidable player and helped the party secure additional seats He also leveraged the widening rift between the Shiv Sena and the BJP persuading the Shiv Sena to join hands with the NCP and the Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government with Uddhav Thackeray as Chief MinisterHowever the political landscape took another dramatic turn when a faction of the NCP led by Pawarrsquos nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled Ajit aligned with the BJP resulting in a shortlived government with Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister Sharad Pawar responded firmly warning defecting MLAs of action under antidefection laws Many legislators subsequently returned to the NCP fold The brief government collapsed soon after and Uddhav Thackeray was reinstated as Chief Minister under the MVA arrangementBut Ajit Pawar parted ways with his uncle and the ECI recognised his faction as the legitimate NCP leading Sharad Pawar to form the NCPSPIn recent years Pawar has continued to exert significant influence despite political turbulence After the recent elections in Maharashtra the MVA moved to the opposition benchesEven from the opposition whether in the state or Centre Sharad Pawar continues to be a commanding voice actively questioning the policies and strategies of the ruling governments His engagement with political economic and social issues remains undiminished and he continues to be regarded as one of Maharashtrarsquos most seasoned and strategic leadersWith inputs from IANS