Senior politician Sharad Pawar’s announcement of his decision to step down as president of the Nationalist Congress Party and not contest any future elections has sent shockwaves through the political landscape — not just in Maharashtra, but across the country.
The development should not be seen as a spur-of-the-moment move by the 82-year-old Mr. Pawar, as is reflected by his crafty and calculated approach to politics. It is likely part of a larger plan to assert his authority within the NCP, a party which was formed on June 10, 1999, after he — along with P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar — was expelled from the Congress for opposing the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi as the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate.
