Sharad Pawar

Sharadchandra Pawar
Pawar in May 2012
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 April 2014
Preceded by	Y. P. Trivedi
Constituency	Maharashtra
President of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar)
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 February 2024
Preceded by	Office established
9th President of the International Cricket Council (ICC)
In office 2010–2012
Preceded by	David Morgan
Succeeded by	Alan Isaac
28th Union Minister of Agriculture
In office 23 May 2004 – 26 May 2014
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Rajnath Singh
Succeeded by	Radha Mohan Singh
9th Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
In office 22 May 2004 – 19 January 2011
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Sharad Yadav
Succeeded by	K. V. Thomas
9th Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
In office 19 March 1998 – 26 April 1999
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Speaker	G. M. C. Balayogi
Preceded by	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Succeeded by	Sonia Gandhi
15th Union Minister of Defence
In office 26 June 1991 – 6 March 1993
Prime Minister	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded by	Chandra Shekhar
Succeeded by	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 16 May 2009 – 3 April 2014
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Vijaysinh Mohite–Patil
Constituency	Madha, Maharashtra
In office 10 May 1996 – 16 May 2009
Preceded by	Bapusaheb Thite
Succeeded by	Supriya Sule
Constituency	Baramati, Maharashtra
In office 18 November 1991 – 1993
Preceded by	Ajit Pawar
Succeeded by	Bapusaheb Thite
Constituency	Baramati, Maharashtra
In office 31 December 1984 – March 1985
Preceded by	Shankarrao Bajirao Patil
Succeeded by	Sambhajirao Kakade
Constituency	Baramati, Maharashtra
6th Chief Minister of Maharashtra
In office 6 March 1993 – 14 March 1995
Preceded by	Sudhakarrao Naik
Succeeded by	Manohar Joshi
In office 26 June 1988 – 25 June 1991
Preceded by	Shankarrao Chavan
Succeeded by	Sudhakarrao Naik
In office 18 July 1978 – 17 February 1980
Preceded by	Vasantdada Patil
Succeeded by	A. R. Antulay
Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
In office February 1967 – January 1985
Preceded by	Malatibai Madhavrao Shirole
Succeeded by	Vacant
Constituency	Baramati
In office March 1985 – June 1991
Preceded by	Vacant
Succeeded by	Ajit Pawar
Constituency	Baramati
Personal details
Born	Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar (1940-12-12) 12 December 1940 Baramati, Bombay Province, then part of British India (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) (2024–present)
Other political affiliations	Indian National Congress (1958–1999) Nationalist Congress Party (1999–2024)
Spouse(s)	Pratibhatai Pawar ( m. 1967)
Relations	Ajit Pawar (nephew) Rohit Rajendra Pawar (grand-nephew)
Children	Supriya Sule (daughter)
Profession	Politician cricket administrator
Website	sharadpawar.com
As of 29 October, 2010 Source: [5]

Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar (born 12 December 1940) is an Indian politician who has served as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha since 2014, representing the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar. Pawar has served three terms as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and held cabinet positions in the Union Council of Ministers, including Minister of Defence under P. V. Narasimha Rao and Minister of Agriculture under Manmohan Singh. He founded the original NCP in 1999; however, following a party split in July 2023, he now leads the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction, following a split from the Indian National Congress. Pawar has been involved in several coalition governments and political alliances in Maharashtra.

Born in Baramati, Maharashtra, Sharadchandra is the patriarch of the Pawar family, which includes several prominent political figures, including his daughter Supriya Sule, nephew Ajit Pawar, and grandnephew Rohit Rajendra Pawar.

Pawar served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 2005 to 2008 and of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2010 to 2012. He also headed the Mumbai Cricket Association from October 2013 to January 2017. He received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor, in 2017.

Personal life and family

Sharad Pawar was one of ten children born to Govindrao Pawar and Shardabai Pawar, a middle-class agricultural family in Baramati. He completed his secondary education at Maharashtra Education Society's High School and later earned a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, Pune.

Between 1937 and 1952, Govindrao Pawar was elected to the district local board three times. He also managed his family's farm located in Katewadi, ten kilometers from Baramati. Sharad Pawar completed his education up to the 10th standard (SSC) under the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education at Maharashtra Education Society's High School in Baramati.

Pawar married Pratibhatai Pawar (née Shinde), daughter of test cricketer Sadashiv Shinde, in 1967. Their daughter, Supriya Sule, represents the Baramati constituency in the 18th Lok Sabha and serves as the working president of the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar.

Several members of the Pawar family have held political roles within the government of Maharashtra. The family has two Members of Parliament and two Members of the state Legislative Assembly. Among them, Ajit Pawar was the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Pratap Pawar, Pawar's younger brother, is chairman and managing director of the Marathi daily newspaper Sakal. Pawar’s nephew, Ajit Pawar, served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra a record six times. He died in a plane crash inBaramati on 28 January 2026. Following Ajit Pawar's death, his widow and Rajya Sabha MP, Sunetra Pawar, was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 31 January 2026. Rohit Rajendra Pawar, Pawar's grand-nephew, represents the Karjat Jamkhed Assembly constituency in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha.

Political career

Early career

Pawar began his political career in 1956, organising a protest march for Goan Independence in Pravaranagar. Although his older lawyer brother belonged to the Peasants and Workers Party, Pawar preferred the Congress Party and joined the Youth Congress in 1958. He later became the president of the Poona district (now Pune district) Youth Congress in 1962, and by 1964 had become one of two secretaries of the Maharashtra Youth Congress.

1967–1978

In 1967, Pawar was nominated as the candidate for the Baramati constituency of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly over more established members by the undivided Congress Party. He won the election and represented the constituency from 1967 to 1990. In 1969, when the Congress Party split after the 1969 Indian presidential election, he opted for the Congress (R) faction of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, along with his mentor Yashwantrao Chavan.

As the MLA of Baramati in the early 1970s, he oversaw the building of percolation tanks during a severe drought in Maharashtra. He was also heavily involved in the politics of the local cooperative sugar mills and other member-run cooperative societies.

In the early 1970s, the Chief Minister at the time, Vasantrao Naik, had been in power for almost a decade, and there was jockeying for succession among different factions of the state Congress party. Prominent leaders such as Shankarrao Chavan, another member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, and other emerging leaders were among those positioning themselves for influence and potential leadership roles. At that time, looking to the future leadership of the party, Yashwantrao Chavan persuaded Naik to bring Pawar into his cabinet as the state Home Affairs Minister in March 1972.

1978-1987

Main article: Sharad Pawar ministry (1978-1980)

In the 1977 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress Party, under Indira Gandhi, lost power to the Janata Alliance. Taking responsibility for the loss of a large number of seats in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan resigned shortly afterwards and was replaced by Vasantdada Patil. Later that year, the Congress Party split again, with Pawar's mentor Yashwantrao Chavan joining one faction, Congress (U), and Indira Gandhi leading her faction, Congress (I). Pawar joined the Congress (U) faction. In the state assembly elections held early in 1978, the two Congress parties ran separately but then allied to keep power for Vasantdada Patil. This was in response to the rise and success of the Janata Party, which emerged as the minority government after the election. Pawar served as Minister of Industry and Labour under the Patil government.

In July 1978, Pawar broke away from the Congress (U) party to form a coalition government with the Janata Party. In the process, at the age of 38, he became the youngest Chief Minister of Maharashtra. This Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) government was dismissed in February 1980, following Indira Gandhi's return to power.

In the 1980 elections, Congress (I) won the majority in the state assembly, and A.R. Antulay took over as chief minister. Pawar took over the Presidency of his own Congress (S) party in 1983. For the first time, he won the Lok Sabha election from the Baramati parliamentary constituency in 1984. He also won the state assembly election of March 1985 from Baramati and preferred to return to state politics, resigning his Lok Sabha seat. Congress (S) won 54 seats out of 288 in the state assembly, and Pawar became the leader of the opposition of the Progressive Democratic Front coalition, which included the BJP, PWP, and the Janata party.

1987–1990

Pawar's return to Congress (I) in 1987 has been cited as a reason for the rise of the Shiv Sena during that period. At the time, Pawar stated that his decision was driven by "the need to save the Congress Culture in Maharashtra". In June 1988, Prime Minister of India and Congress President Rajiv Gandhi inducted then Maharashtra Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan into his Union Cabinet as Finance Minister; Pawar was chosen to replace Chavan as the Chief Minister. Pawar had the task of checking the rise of the Shiv Sena in state politics, which was a potential challenge to the dominance of the Congress in the state. In the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, Congress 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 tough challenge to Congress. Congress fell short of an absolute majority in the state assembly, winning 141 seats out of 288. Pawar was sworn in as chief minister again on 4 March 1990, with the support of 12 independent members of the legislative assembly (MLAs).

Early 1990s

During his 1991 election campaign, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. The party elected P.V. Narasimha Rao as the party president. It was expected that the party president would become the prime minister in the event of a Congress victory.

The Congress Parliamentary Party (party MPs) unanimously elected P.V. Narasimha Rao as their leader, and he was sworn in as prime minister on 21 June 1991. Rao named Pawar as the defence minister. On 26 June 1991, Pawar took over that portfolio and held it until March 1993. After Pawar's successor in Maharashtra, Sudhakarrao Naik, stepped down following the Bombay riots, Rao asked Pawar to serve again as chief minister of the state. Pawar was sworn in as chief minister for his fourth term on 6 March 1993. Almost immediately, Mumbai experienced a series of bomb blasts, on 12 March 1993. Pawar's response to the blasts attracted controversy. More than a decade later, Pawar admitted that he had "deliberately misled" people following the bombings by saying that there were "13 and not 12" explosions, and had added the name of a Muslim-dominated locality to show that people from both communities had been affected. He attempted to justify this deception by claiming that it was a move to prevent communal riots, by falsely portraying that both the Hindu and Muslim communities in the city had been adversely affected. He also admitted to lying about evidence recovered and misleading people into believing that it pointed to the Tamil Tigers as possible suspects.

Mid-to-late 1990s

In 1993, the Deputy Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, G. R. Khairnar, made a series of accusations against Pawar for being involved in corruption and protecting 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 the expulsion of 12 officers of the Maharashtra state forest department 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 the state assembly, and killed 114 people. Nagpur Police were trying to disperse almost 50,000 Gowari and Vanjari protesters using baton charges, but the police created panic and triggered a stampede amongst protesters. Allegations were made that the mishap occurred because the welfare minister, Madhukarrao Pichad, did not meet with the delegation of the Vanjari people in time. Though Pichad, accepting responsibility for the mishap, stepped down, this incident was another setback to Pawar's government.

After 16 years of protest by the Namantar Andolan (Name-change Movement), the state government finally renamed Marathwada University to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University on 14 January 1994, the compromise new name being an expansion of the old name (Namvistar) rather than a complete change of name (Namanatar). As chief minister, Pawar announced a few developments in university departments.

New elections to the Vidhan Sabha were held in 1995. The Shiv Sena-BJP coalition was leading Congress in the polls, and there was widespread rebellion in the Congress party. Shiv Sena-BJP won 138 seats while Congress retained only 80 seats in the state assembly. Pawar had to step down, and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi took over as chief minister on 14 March 1995. Until the Lok Sabha elections of 1996, Pawar served as the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. In the 1996 general elections, Pawar won the Baramati seat in the Lok Sabha and left the state assembly.

In June 1997, Pawar unsuccessfully challenged Sitaram Kesri for the post of President of the Indian National Congress. In the mid-term parliamentary elections of 1998, Pawar not only won his constituency, Baramati, but also led Congress to a win by a large majority of Maharashtra Lok Sabha constituencies. Congress was aligned with the Republican Party of India (Athvale) and the Samajwadi Party for the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. The Congress party won 33 Lok Sabha seats outright, and the allied Republican Party of India won 4 more, for a total of 37 out of 48 in the state. Pawar served as Leader of the Opposition in the 12th Lok Sabha.

Formation of the Nationalist Congress Party

In 1999, after the 12th Lok Sabha was dissolved and elections to the 13th Lok Sabha were called, Pawar, P. A. Sangma, and Tariq Anwar demanded that the party propose someone native-born as the prime ministerial candidate, instead of the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, who had entered party politics and replaced Kesri as Congress president. This led to the trio's expulsion from the party by the Congress Working Committee (CWC). In response, Pawar and Sangma founded the Nationalist Congress Party in June 1999. Despite the falling out, the new party aligned with the Congress party to form a coalition government in Maharashtra after the 1999 state assembly elections to prevent the Shiv Sena-BJP combine from returning to power. Pawar, however, did not return to state politics and Vilasrao Deshmukh of Congress was chosen as chief minister, with Chagan Bhujbal representing the NCP as deputy chief minister.

Minister of Agriculture in UPA government

Pawar assumes the charge of Union Minister for Agriculture, Food & Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in New Delhi on 24 May 2004

After the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Pawar joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the Minister of Agriculture. He retained his portfolio when the UPA coalition government was reelected in 2009. He faced several crises and controversies during his tenure as Agriculture Minister. Critics also point out that during his tenure as the Minister of Agriculture, he spent more time on cricket in his role as the President of BCCI than on his ministerial duties.

Wheat imports

In 2007, the BJP asked for Pawar's resignation after alleging he was involved in a multi-crore Indian rupee (INR) scam involving wheat imports. In May 2007, a tender floated by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the procurement of wheat was cancelled when the lowest bid received was for US$263/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 had become large enough to require the 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.

Agricultural produce prices

As the Minister of Agriculture, Pawar was consistently accused of colluding in the extreme hike in prices of agricultural produce:

• Wheat import in 2007 – The Bombay High Court issued notices to Union Agriculture Minister Pawar, questioning the decision to import defective red wheat, and asking for a directive to submit details of the 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 Pawar of engineering a steep rise in the price of sugar to the advantage of hoarders and importers.
• Wheat, Sugar, Rice, and Bean prices in 2009–2010 – The opposition accused Pawar of being responsible for the issue of spiralling prices.

Farmer suicides

Since the 1990s, India has witnessed a high number of farmer suicides-over 10,000 each year, totaling more than 200,000 between 1997 and 2010. In 2006, as the Minister of Agriculture, Pawar was criticised for downplaying the rate of farmer suicide in the country. However, he claimed at that time that his department was taking the necessary steps to reduce the numbers. His ministry initiated a series of government inquiries to look into the causes of farmers' suicides in 2012. In 2013, Pawar admitted that the suicides were a serious issue with many factors being responsible, and he said the government was increasing investment in agriculture and raising the minimum prices of crops to increase farmers' income.

Promotion of endosulfan

Even though the pesticide endosulfan has been banned, India is slow to phase it out. Despite its known negative health effects, Pawar remarked that endosulfan has not yet proved dangerous. This remark prompted activist Dr Vandana Shiva to call him a corrupt minister.

Other issues

In 2012, Pawar gave up the chairmanship of the Empowered Group of Ministers investigating the 2G spectrum case, days after his appointment by the prime minister, fearing that his association with the decision-making process would drag him into the 2G Spectrum controversy. In 2011, he resigned from the committee that was reviewing the draft of the anti-corruption Lokpal bill after his involvement was criticised by the anti-corruption campaigner, Anna Hazare.

Career since 2014

In January 2012, Pawar announced that he would not contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, to make way for young leadership. Pawar is at present a member of the Rajya Sabha. He was elected to the body in April 2014 for a six-year term. He lost his ministerial position after the BJP-led NDA defeated the ruling UPA government, in which Pawar was the minister of agriculture, in the 2014 general elections. Pawar's NCP also lost power in Maharashtra after the 2014 assembly elections. The BJP won a plurality of seats in the new assembly and initially formed a minority government with outside support from the NCP. The BJP's estranged ally, the Shiv Sena, later joined the BJP-led government, and that government then did not need the support of the NCP. In May 2017, Pawar ruled out being a candidate for the June 2017 Indian presidential election.

In the 2019 elections to the Lok Sabha, Pawar's NCP and the Congress party had a seat-sharing arrangement. Similarly, despite ideological differences, the BJP and Shiv Sena once again contested the elections together under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) banner. The election resulted in a landslide victory for Narendra Modi's BJP. Out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, the Congress party won only one seat in the state, whereas the NCP won five seats from its stronghold of western Maharashtra.

The 2019 Lok Sabha elections were followed by elections to the Vidhan Sabha in October 2019. Predictions for the state's ruling BJP–Shiv Sena alliance to win by a large margin led to a steady stream of defections from the NCP to the ruling alliance. Pawar campaigned for the NCP-Congress alliance during the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, during which the alliance increased its seat count compared to the previous election. Against predictions, the actual voting left the ruling alliance with fewer seats than in 2014. Differences between the Shiv Sena and the BJP led to a month of political drama, with Pawar and his family playing a pivotal role. The drama ended with the NCP coming back into power on 28 November 2019, as part of a coalition between Shiv Sena, Congress, and the NCP, led by the Shiv Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray, as the new chief minister of Maharashtra.

In June 2020, Pawar was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Sharad Pawar, the founder and chief of the NCP since 1999, announced his decision to step down from his post and also his unwillingness to contest elections in the future, at the launch of the second edition of his political memoirs 'Lok Maze Sangati' ('People Accompany Me'). Sharad Pawar has had a long period of public life from 1 May 1958 to 1 May 2023.

Sharad Pawar withdrew his decision to step down as national leader of the National Congress Party, citing the "strong sentiments" his resignation had evoked among party workers as well as leaders across the country. The octogenarian leader clarified that he would focus on assigning new responsibilities through organisational changes and on creating new leadership.

2023 Ajit Pawar's rebellion

Main article: 2023 Nationalist Congress Party split

In July 2023, Ajit Pawar rebelled against Sharad Pawar, joined the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government, and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. A majority of NCP's sitting MLAs deserted the party in support of Ajit Pawar. He claimed to the Election Commission that he was the president of the NCP. Later, in his followers' first public meeting, he claimed ownership over the party, including both its name and election symbol. This rebellion resulted in a tussle in the party between those who stayed loyal to Sharad Pawar and those who supported Ajit Pawar, similar to the 2022 Shiv Sena political crisis. In 2024, he launched the Sharad Pawar Inspire Fellowship for agriculture graduates. Initially, in late 2024, Pawar, while addressing a meeting in Baramati, stated that he might not seek re‑election to the Rajya Sabha when his term ended in April 2026. However, to the contrary he contested the 2026 Rajya Sabha elections and was re-elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha for a third consecutive term.

Member of the coordination committee of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance

Pawar has been appointed a member of the Coordination Committee of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance at its Mumbai convention on 1 September 2023. The coordination committee will decide the national agenda, common campaign issues and common program of the country's main opposition alliance (I.N.D.I.A.).

Electoral performance

Election candidature history

Election	Year	Party		Constituency	Opponent			Result	Margin
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly	1967		INC	Baramati		Peasants and Workers Party of India	B.S. Kakade	Won	N/A
	1972		INC			Samyukta Socialist Party	Vijay Hanumantrao More	Won	N/A
	1978		INC			JP	Vijay Hanumantrao More	Won	18,638
	1980		Indian National Congress			INC(I)	Marutrao Dhondiba Chopade	Won	28,369
	1985		Indian Congress			INC	Shahajiraje Mugutrao Kakade	Won	18,044
	1990		INC			Independent	Marutrao Dhondiba Chopade	Won	88,223
Loksabha	1984		Indian Congress	Baramati		INC	Shankarrao Bajirao Patil	Won	140,532
	1991^		INC			BJP	Dr. Pratibha Lokhande	Won	4,59,659
	1996		INC			Independent	Shankarrao Bajirao Patil	Won	160,501
	1998		INC			BJP	Viraj Babulal Kakade	Won	268,184
	1999		Nationalist Congress Party			BJP	Dr. Pratibha Lokhande	Won	298,903
	2004		Nationalist Congress Party			BJP	Prithviraj Sahebrao Jachak	Won	422,975
	2009		Nationalist Congress Party	Madha		BJP	Subhash Deshmukh	Won	314,459
Rajyasabha	2014		Nationalist Congress Party	Maharashtra				Won	-
	2020		Nationalist Congress Party					Won	-
	2026		Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar					Won	-

Sports administration

Pawar has held leadership roles in several sports organizations, including:

• Mumbai Cricket Association
• Maharashtra Wrestling Association
• Maharashtra Kabbadi Association
• Maharashtra Kho Kho Association
• Maharashtra Olympics Association
• Board of Control for Cricket in India, President 2005–2008
• International Cricket Council Vice President
• International Cricket Council President

Educational institutions

In 1972, Pawar founded Vidya Pratishthan. The organization operates schools and colleges specializing in information technology and biotechnology in Baramati and other locations. Pawar is associated with the Hon. Sharad Pawar Public School, under the Shree Gurudatta Education Society; Sharad Pawar International School, Pune and the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, near Mumbai. Pawar is the current president of the century-old educational organisation Rayat Shikshan Sanstha.

Controversies

Criminal links

In 1992–93, then-Maharashtra Chief Minister Sudhakarrao Naik made a statement that the state leader of the Indian National Congress party and erstwhile-Chief Minister Pawar had asked him to "go easy on Pappu Kalani", a well-known criminal turned politician. Shiv Sena chief, Bal Thackeray, later concurred with these allegations. Further, Chief Minister Naik also alleged that it was possible that Kalani and Hitendra Thakur, another criminal-turned-politician from Virar, had been given tickets to the contest election for the Maharashtra State Legislature at the behest of Pawar, who also put in a word for Naik with the police when the latter was arrested for his role in post-Demolition of the Babri Masjid riots in Mumbai.

Pawar is also alleged to have close links with the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim through Ibrahim's henchman Lakhan Singh, based in the Middle East, and a close relationship with Shahid Balwa, who is also a suspect in the 2G spectrum case. These allegations were strengthened by the revelation of the involvement of Vinod Goenka, Balwa's business partner, in a controversial commercial project in Yerwada, Pune, which was being constructed under the same survey number as Pawar's family friend, Atul Chordia, had constructed the Panchshil Tech Park. BJP leader Eknath Khadse alleged that it was Balwa who had applied for environmental clearance for the two projects, a charge that Chordia refuted. Coincidentally, Chordia's Panchshil Pvt. Ltd. has Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule, and her husband, Sadanand, as investors.

The state government's decision to hand over a 3-acre plot of the Yerwada police station for "redevelopment" to Balwa was retracted following Balwa's arrest. For several years, confusion existed about the number of blasts in the 1993 Bombay Bombings, whether they were 12 or 13 in number. This was because Pawar, the then chief minister of Maharashtra, stated on television that day that there had been 13 blasts, and included a Muslim-dominated locality in the list. He later revealed that he had lied on purpose and that there had been only 12 blasts, none of them in Muslim-dominated areas; he also confessed that he had attempted to mislead the public into believing that the blasts could be the work of the LTTE, a Sri Lankan militant organization, when in fact intelligence reports had already confirmed to him that Mumbai's Muslim underworld (known as the "D-Company," a reference to Dawood Ibrahim) were the perpetrators of the serial blasts.

Land allotment

On 27 October 2007, the Bombay High Court served notices to institutions headed by Pawar, Ajit Pawar, and Sadanand Sule (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 Public Interest Litigation No. 148 of 2006, filed by Shamsunder Potare, alleging that the said 2002 land allocations in Pune were illegal. The institutions and properties mentioned include:

• Two 141.15-acre (57.12 ha) plots were allotted to Vidya Pratishthan, an educational society headed by Sharad Pawar.
• A 2-acre (0.81 ha) plot allotted to Anant Smriti Pratishthan, headed by Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra state minister for irrigation and Pawar's nephew.
• A 32.12-acre (13.00 ha) plot allotted to Lavasa Corporation, owned by Sule. Sule handed over his share in 2006.
• A 1-acre (0.40 ha) plot allotted to Shivajinagar Agriculture College.
• A 3-acre (1.2 ha) plot allotted to the Sharadchandraji Scout and Guide Training Institute.

These allocations were allegedly made by NCP leader and minister Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, who was in charge of MKVDC at the time. Pawar was served a contempt of court notice on 1 May 2008 in connection with this case for issuing statements to the press even though the matter was subjudice at the time. Also, in connection with the case, the respondents were instructed not to create third-party interests in the disputed property and to undertake any developments at their own risk.

IPL exemption from tax controversy

In 2010, in the case of tax exemptions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Shiv Sena MLA Subhash Desai alleged that the state cabinet decided in January to impose the tax, before the year's IPL season started, but the decision was not implemented because of NCP chief Pawar's association with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Bombay High Court in August 2010 said there was "nothing on record" to show that the Union Minister influenced the Maharashtra government's decision to exempt Indian Premier League matches from entertainment tax.

Asset declaration

In 2011, Pawar declared his assets to be worth ₹120 million (equivalent to ₹200 million or US$2.8 million in 2019) as part of a mandatory disclosure, but his critics claimed that his wealth far exceeded the stated amount. In 2010, it was alleged that the Pawar family indirectly held a 16% stake in the City Corporation, which had bid ₹11.76 billion (equivalent to ₹21 billion or US$300 million in 2019) for the Pune franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pawar and his family denied the allegations, but the bidders' board of the IPL contradicted their claims.

Nira Radia's allegations

In 2011, under investigation of the 2G spectrum case, Nira Radia told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that Agriculture Minister Pawar may be controlling the controversial DB Realty. According to the reports, she also told the investigative agency that Pawar may have spoken with former telecom minister A. Raja about the allocation of spectrum and licence to Swan Telecom. Radia also said that she had no documentary proof to support her allegations. Pawar has denied any link with former DB managing director Shahid Balwa, who is now in CBI custody.

Lavasa

Pawar is alleged to have demanded compensation for allowing the planned city of Lavasa to be constructed. When Lavasa Corporation was receiving necessary clearances from the government of Maharashtra, relatives of Pawar had part-ownership of the company developing the project. Pawar's daughter and son-in-law had more than 20% ownership between 2002 and 2004, and they later sold their stakes. A nephew of his was chairman of Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC) when the MKVDC signed off on lease agreements for Lavasa and allowed it to store water and build dams.

Comments on the 2010 Pune bombing

After the 2010 Pune bombing of German Bakery, Pawar appeared to take the incident lightly. He told the reporters, "It is not alright to arrive at a conclusion that the entire Pune city has been targeted. The place where the blast took place is an isolated area." He added, "When I was Chief Minister, Mumbai saw 11 simultaneous blasts, but everything returned to normal soon."

Slapping incident

Pawar was slapped by a youth named Harvinder Singh at the New Delhi Municipal Corporation Centre while leaving the premises after attending a literary function on 24 November, 2011. The attacker, who was previously said to have also assaulted former telecom minister Sukh Ram, was later arrested in 2019.

Turban controversy

In 2018, Pawar asked party members to felicitate him with the pagadi (turban) of social reformer Mahatma Phule, instead of the usual Puneri Pagadi worn by peshwas (prime ministers) of the Maratha Empire. In response to criticism that he was "trying to stir up anti-Brahmin sentiment" and "appeal to Dalits", Pawar said that he wasn't rejecting any section of society but honouring his idols- Phule, Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Shahu Maharaj.

Details of Criminal Cases

Criminal Cases where accused

IPC Sections	Criminal Cases(brief)
IPC Section-409	charges related to criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent
IPC Section-406	charges related to criminal breach of trust
IPC Section-465	charges related to forgery
IPC Section-467	charges related to Forgery of valuable security, will, etc.
IPC Section-468	charges related to Forgery for purpose of cheating
IPC Section-471	charges related to Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record
IPC Section-34	charges related to Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention
IPC Section-120B	charges related to Punishment of criminal conspiracy
IPC Section-420	charges related to Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property

Awards and honours

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Vibhushan Award to Sharad Pawar, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on 30 March 2017

• Padma Vibhushan (2017) – In 2017, Pawar was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, on the recommendation of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. The timing of the award was questioned by observers, and some attributed it to the political motivations of the BJP.
• Newsmakers Achievers Awards 2022.
• Honoured Lokmat Parliamentary lifetime achievement award in the hands of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu for parliamentarians who bring about progress, create hope and are a source of inspiration and pride for the country.

Health

In 1999, Pawar was diagnosed with oral cancer and had oral surgery in April 2004. In March 2021, he underwent surgery for his gallbladder problem.

See also

• First Sharad Pawar ministry
• Political families of Maharashtra

Further reading

• P. K. Ravindranath (1 February 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, India, Tuesday, 11 December 2006
• Profile at BBC News
• Profile at government of India website

External links

• Sharad Pawar on Twitter

Article based on personal experience with Sharad Pawar Archived 17 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine

Political offices
Preceded by Vasantdada Patil	Chief Minister of Maharashtra 18 July 1978 – 17 February 1980	Succeeded by A R Antule
Preceded by Shankarrao Chavan	Chief Minister of Maharashtra 26 June 1988 – 25 June 1991	Succeeded by Sudhakarrao Naik
Preceded by Chandra Shekhar	Minister of Defence 26 June 1991 – 6 March 1993	Succeeded by P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded by Shankarrao Chavan	Chief Minister of Maharashtra 6 March 1993 – 14 March 1995	Succeeded by Manohar Joshi
Preceded by Rajnath Singh	Minister of Agriculture 23 May 2004 - 26 May 2014	Succeeded by Radha Mohan Singh
Preceded by Sharad Yadav	Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution 23 May 2004 - 19 January 2011	Succeeded by K. V. Thomas
Lok Sabha
Preceded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee	Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha 19 March 1998 – 26 April 1999	Succeeded by Sonia Gandhi
Preceded by Shankarrao Bajirao Patil	Member of Parliament for Baramati 1984-1985	Succeeded by Sambhajirao Kakade
Preceded by Ajit Pawar	Member of Parliament for Baramati 1991-1994	Succeeded by Bapusaheb Thite
Preceded by Bapusaheb Thite	Member of Parliament for Baramati 1996-2004	Succeeded by Supriya Sule
Civic offices
Preceded by Rameshwar Thakur	Presidents of the Bharat Scouts and Guides 2001–2004	Succeeded by Rameshwar Thakur
Preceded by Ranbir Singh Mahendra	President, Board of Control for Cricket in India 2005–2008	Succeeded by Shashank Manohar
Preceded by David Morgan	President, International Cricket Council 2010–2012	Succeeded by Alan Issac
Party political offices
Preceded by D. Devaraj Urs	President of the Indian Congress (Socialist) 1981–1986	Merged with the Indian National Congress
Preceded by position established	Leader of the Nationalist Congress Party in the Lok Sabha 1998–2014	Succeeded by Supriya Sule