Sharad Pawar hints at retirement after RS term

Pune: Hinting at his retirement from parliamentary politics, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar, 83, suggested on Tuesday that he may not seek another Rajya Sabha term after his current tenure ends in 2026. The veteran politician made these remarks during a campaign rally for his grand-nephew Yugendra Pawar in Baramati’s Supa area, where he expressed his intention to pass the baton to a younger generation.

Sharad Pawar, who has been a fixture in Maharashtra and Indian politics for over five decades, shared reflections on his political journey. “With your support, I first went to the state Assembly.

I became a minister of state and cabinet minister, chief minister four times, and later served as defence and agriculture minister at the Centre. Today, I am in the Rajya Sabha,” he recounted, detailing a career that began in 1967 when he entered the Maharashtra Assembly and later assumed his first ministerial role five years later.

Over his long tenure, Pawar has won 14 elections, serving in both state and central governments and working across various portfolios, including defence and agriculture. He noted that he had previously stepped back from contesting Lok Sabha elections to pave the way for new leadership, entrusting his nephew Ajit Pawar with the responsibility of local politics in Baramati.

With his Rajya Sabha term set to end in 2026, Pawar said he would reconsider seeking re-election. “I have contested 14 elections, and every time, you have supported me. But there comes a time to stop. That’s why I am preparing for new leadership,” he said.

However, the senior leader assured his supporters that he would continue his work in the social sphere. “Though I will not be in power, I will keep working for drought-affected regions and marginalised communities,” Pawar said, indicating his commitment to public service beyond active politics.

Sharad Pawar, who won his first Assembly election from Baramati in 1967, has left a formidable legacy. His daughter, Supriya Sule, has represented Baramati in the Lok Sabha since 2009, and the family witnessed its first political contest in 2024 when Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra, contested against Sule.