Pawar Recalls Toppling Patil’s Govt, Praises Congress Unity
Sharad Pawar recalls toppling Vasantdada Patil’s government and later being supported by him as Maharashtra CM.
In a revealing address in Pune on August 16, 2025, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) president Sharad Pawar recounted a pivotal chapter in Maharashtra’s political history, highlighting the magnanimity of Congress leader Vasantdada Patil. Speaking at an event, the 84-year-old Rajya Sabha member reflected on his role in toppling Patil’s Maharashtra government in 1978, only for Patil to propose Pawar’s name for chief minister a decade later, showcasing the “large-hearted leadership” of the Congress at the time.
Pawar, a former Congress stalwart who co-founded the NCP in 1999 after parting ways with the party, detailed the turbulent post-Emergency era when the Congress split into Congress (Indira) and Swarn Singh Congress. Aligned with his mentor Yashwantrao Chavan in the latter faction, Pawar noted that neither group secured a clear majority in subsequent elections.
A coalition government was formed with Patil as chief minister, but ideological differences persisted. “Many of us young workers had resentment against Congress (I),” Pawar said, admitting he was a key figure in the opposition that toppled Patil’s government, leading to his own appointment as chief minister.
A decade later, in a remarkable turn of events, Patil advocated for Pawar’s leadership during a meeting to select the next chief minister. Despite names like Ramrao Adik and Shivajirao Nilangekar being considered, Patil insisted, “No more discussion... Sharad will lead it,” prioritizing party unity. Pawar lauded this gesture, stating, “The same leader whose government I brought down put all that aside and chose unity for ideology.”
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Pawar’s remarks underscore the spirit of reconciliation that once defined Congress leadership, contrasting with the NCP’s own trajectory, including its 2023 split when Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition. The veteran leader’s reflections offer a lens into Maharashtra’s political evolution and the enduring value of unity in leadership.
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