Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended birthday wishes to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on his 84th birthday, praying for his long and healthy life.
“Birthday wishes to Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader Sharad Pawar Ji. I pray for his long and healthy life,” PM Modi posted on X.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, also wished Sharad Pawar on his birthday.
“Happy Birthday to NCP President and Former Union Minister Sharad Pawar. Wish you good health and long life,” Kharge wrote on X.
Meanwhile, posters extending birthday greetings to NCP chief Sharad Pawar were put up outside his residence in Delhi.
Sharad Pawar, affectionately known as “Saheb,” was born on December 12, 1940, in Baramati, Pune. Coming from a family rooted in the region, Pawar began his political journey at a young age. At just 24, he was elected as the president of the State Youth Congress, and five years later, he joined the State Cabinet.
Over his illustrious career, Pawar served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a total of seven years during his 32 years in active politics. An advocate of economic liberalism, Pawar believes that large-scale investments leading to rapid economic development and employment generation are the key drivers of a nation’s global power and influence.
In recent years, however, the NCP has witnessed internal rifts. In July of last year, NCP leader Ajit Pawar led a split within the party, aligning with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and taking the oath as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister.
The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 saw a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, which secured a landslide win with 235 seats. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP won 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
In February, the Election Commission of India (ECI) recognised the Ajit Pawar faction as the official NCP and allotted it the party’s ‘clock’ symbol. The Supreme Court later allowed the faction to use the symbol for the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections, subject to the outcome of a legal challenge by Sharad Pawar’s faction. The court also directed the Ajit Pawar group not to use Sharad Pawar’s name or image in campaign materials.
The Sharad Pawar faction was instructed to contest elections under the name “Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Chandra Pawar” and use the “man-blowing turha” symbol. The apex court’s order remains in effect until further notice.
(ANI)