After the high-voltage revolt by his nephew Ajit Pawar, the NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar has once again proved he is the old warhorse and a strong Maratha man. Within three days of the revolt, he not only managed to keep his flock together but succeeded in getting Ajit resigned, causing the fall of the 4-day old Fadnavis government.
Almost all MLAs of the NCP have returned to Pawar fold leaving Ajit Pawar isolated.
Sharad Pawar said, throwing a challenge to the BJP, that "Maharashtra is not Goa, Manipur or Arunachal Pradesh or Karnataka".
Sharad Pawar, who first became chief minister at the age of 38, four decades ago, is still at the centre of Maharashtra politics. He has been the chief minister thrice and Union minister many times. He last demitted office in 2014 when the UPA lost the mandate. Since then the NCP was a marginal player both at the Centre and in the state.
But after October 24, 2019 assembly results, Sharad Pawar has been at the centerstage, from meeting Shiv Sena leaders mid way on road to meeting Uddhav Thackeray in hotel Trident -- all political activity was monitored by him.
In Delhi, he met Sonia Gandhi twice to take her consent in the government formation. His house 6, Janpath in Lutyens' Delhi has been at the centre of hectic political activity for the last few days on the formation of new Maharashtra government.
Twitterati were full of jokes about Sharad Pawar showing Amit Shah his place, with many wondering who was the real Chanakya.
