3 Birds With 1 Stone: Sharad Pawar's Resignation a Fresh Political Masterstroke?

Anchor/Producer: Eshwar

Video Editor: Karuna Mishra

The fact that "Sharad Pawar does not take decisions emotionally or sentimentally," is something one often hears political pundits and observers say for the veteran Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief.

Yet, emotions and sentiments were driving the NCP's and Sharad Pawar's politics in Maharashtra on Tuesday, 2 May. In an unexpected announcement that sent shockwaves nationally, Sharad Pawar expressed his desire to step down as the party chief to "pave way for the new generation."

The sudden move took many aback with Sharad Pawar being the sole unifying force for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Moreover, many continue to perceive Pawar also as the unifying force for a national Opposition against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), just a year ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

After the pushback that followed from the party cadre and senior leaders, Sharad Pawar said that he will "rethink his decision for the next 2-3 days." The reasons behind his resignation, however, stemmed from solving the 'brewing crisis' within the party, observers say.

The announcement can be looked at from three aspects:

• Quelling a possible rebellion, as seen in the Shiv Sena, within the NCP

• A reminder of who the cadre and loyal NCP voters stand by

• Affirming the NCP's supremacy within the Maha Vikas Aghadi

Quelling a Possible Rebellion Within the NCP

In April, reports of party leader Ajit Pawar joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state and splitting the NCP picked unprecedented momentum.

The claims were triggered after Ajit Pawar was 'unreachable' for over 36 hours on 7 April, before he showed up with his wife at an event in Pune the next day. He claimed that he was "unwell."

In the following days, media reports claimed that Ajit Pawar had the backing of 25 MLAs, many of whom are facing cases by the central agencies, although sources close to the party put this figure at 15.

The claims went on till 18 April till Ajit Pawar slammed 'other parties' for "planting fake claims to weaken the MVA," but also the media for reporting on "rumours."

The media's questions of a perceived rebellion have irked Ajit Pawar publicly more times than one.

The announcement of his resignation and the emotional backlash from the cadre and several senior loyalists sent a message that the party cadre still believe in the shots being called by Sharad Pawar himself.

Reminder of Who the Cadre and Loyal Voters Stand By

The announcement by Pawar came while most party leaders and workers from across the state were in Mumbai to attend the launch of his autobiography titled Lok Majhe Saangati at Mumbai's Yashwantrao Chavan Centre.

After his announcement, a shocked party cadre rebelled. Many leaders and supporters wept, and the cadre protested publicly in the presence of national media, leading not only to Sharad Pawar's loyalists but also possible dissenters on stage, taking turns to publicly urge him to withdraw his resignation.

The cadre further refused to leave the venue until the veteran leader revoked his decision, forcing the hand of several senior leaders to speak to Sharad Pawar and convince him to change his mind. As Sharad Pawar left the venue, party workers lay on the roads in a bid to not let him leave and had to be dragged by the police.

These developments for over two hours and the timing of Pawar's announcement signified three things:

• The influence of Sharad Pawar still remains unquestionable despite the clout of Ajit Pawar.

• A message went out that even if anybody switches sides, NCP's loyal voters and party cadre won't follow.

• The timing and the venue of the announcement put possible dissenters in a fix in front of the media, where they could not be seen keeping mum on the resignation or going against the cadre's sentiment.

The NCP's Supremacy Within the Maha Vikas Aghadi

If party sources in both Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP are to be believed, Uddhav Thackeray is not keen on becoming the chief minister after the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections due to two reasons:

• An uphill task of rebuilding the party following the dent left by the split engineered by Eknath Shinde

• Uddhav Thackeray's health issues

Many within the two parties have also claimed that Thackeray has offered for Ajit Pawar to be made the chief minister in case the MVA gets the numbers next year.

The NCP is currently stronger than the Shiv Sena (UBT) in the state and the Congress won't ally with the Shiv Sena without the NCP. If the NCP weakens, the MVA will crumble and Thackeray will have no mainstream parties left as allies. This gives the NCP a great deal of leverage within the alliance.

Moreover, joining hands with the BJP ahead of 2024 will still have the BJP as the bigger player with Devendra Fadnavis' clear aspirations to return as the chief minister. The possibility of Ajit Pawar becoming the deputy chief minister after joining ranks with the BJP is also subject to any possible plans of the BJP to sideline Shinde.

So, staying with the MVA will not only ensure a CM post for Ajit Pawar but also safeguard Uddhav's political prospects, making it a win-win for both.

What Next for the NCP?

While addressing the media later in the evening, Ajit Pawar said that Sharad Pawar discussed his decision to rethink his resignation with only four people including him, daughter Supriya Sule, grand nephew Rohit Pawar, and veteran confidante Chhaggan Bhujbal.

Responding to media queries, Ajit Pawar also assured that all senior leaders want a 'Working President' post to be created and the leader appointed to hold it shall work under Sharad Pawar's "guidance." The demand for the new post also came up earlier during the press conference.

For now, the situation has been pacified. The developments on Tuesday ensure three things:

• The protesting cadre has been assured that even if Sharad Pawar sticks to his decision, the creation of the new post will ensure that he will call the shots. Going back from this decision after announcing it publicly will have the party cadre reject any other arrangement.

• As far as a possible rebellion is concerned, the who's who of the party were seen on stage with Pawar today requesting him to revoke his decision. Any possible move to split will have them risk losing political deposit and voter base.

• The need of the NCP for the existence of the MVA has been strengthened within the state politics, re-establishing the party's upper hand in the state and national politics.

(With inputs from Himanshi Dahiya)