NCP chief Sharad Pawar completes 50 years of Parliamentary career
CAMIL PARKHE | Wednesday, 22 February 2017 AT 11:50 PM IST
Pune: Former Union Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar, one of the tallest political figures in the state for the past few decades, completed 50 years of his Parliamentary career on Wednesday, February 22.Fifty years ago on this day, Pawar was elected as a member of the State Legislative Assembly from Baramati constituency. Since then, he has been a public representative for five consecutive decades, serving Maharashtra and also the nation in various important positions.
Pawar was appointed as minister of state for home at the age of 32 years in 1972 and appointed a cabinet minister two years later. He became Maharashtra’s chief minister at the age of 38 in 1978 and to this date, he continues to hold the record of being the youngest chief minister of Maharashtra.
He was sworn as the state chief minister four times (1978, 1988, 1990 and 1993). He has also served as the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly. >>Contd on P2
And aslo servged as defence minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government and as agriculture minister in the two terms of the UPA government. He was recently chosen for the Padma Vibhushan award.
While continuing with his political career, Pawar has also been associated with various other fields including the cooperative movement, an educational body like the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha and cricket.
No other person in the state has had a varied types of interest in different spheres, a fact which has been acknowledged even by his critics.
One of the senior most politicians in the country, Pawar has been praised for his administrative skills, an in-depth knowledge of the issues he deals with and friendship with leaders cutting across the political barriers.
In a comment posted on social media on Wednesday, the NCP chief has remarked: “I have completed 50 years of my parliamentary career today. It was on this day, that I was elected by the people of Baramati as a member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly with a thumping majority. Since then, I have got the opportunity to serve uninterrupted as a member of the State Assembly, the Legislative Council, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. I am grateful to the people in this regard. In the past 50 years, I have experienced many ups and downs and have faced many challenges as well. But, because of the strong support of the common masses and colleagues, I was able to work in the public life. Henceforth too, I will keep working for the development of labour class, farmers, women, workers, those neglected and the new generation. I would prefer to be in their debts for the entire life.”
For many people in Maharashtra who are now in the late 30s or 40s, the name of Abdul Rehman Antulay may immediately remind the cement scandal to which he was allegedly linked with. Antulay had to relinquish the chief minister's post due to this scandal. Although the Supreme Court later acquitted him of the charges, Antulay had to pay heavy political price for this scandal as he was moved away from Maharashtra and rehabilitated in national politics. Elected to the Rajya Sabha, he also held the union minister's post two terms.