MUMBAI: Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar is in a hurry: a whistle-stop Maharashtra tour is on cards, so is a sequel to his autobiography; and chances of an Opposition front appear alluring in the wake of the farmers' stir. Every reason for the Baramati man, who will celebrate his 80th birthday on Saturday, to purr like a Siamese cat.
Pawar has his tasks cut out: Mollycoddle Shiv Sena into shedding its Hindutva baggage, keep BJP at bay and keep his own flock in the state assembly -- and in the clan -- on a leash. Also, he will have to draw up a strategy for the 2022 BMC elections which will test MVA's resilience and popularity. Though he and his party have dismissed talk of his heading the UPA, sources said Pawar was keen to reach out to regional bigwigs -- Mamata Banerjee, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Naveen Patnaik and others -- in a bid to forge a loose front to take on the BJP.
Pawar, as a young politician, rubbed shoulders with Y B Chavan (Congress leader and Pawar's mentor), humorist P L Deshpande, scholar Lakshmanshastri Joshi and rationalist A B Shah, among others. To this, Pawar added adaptability. "Baba is a quick learner. He'd sit with Dr M S Swaminathan and Dr Anil Kakodkar for an update on agriculture and nuclear science," said Supriya Sule, Pawar's daughter and NCP MP.
Rejecting the mould of a jaded, Gandhi-capped neta, Pawar made his debut as a new-age politician in the 1970s, bonding with the youth and cultivating a wide circle of friends: George Fernandes, Balasaheb Thackeray, Rahul Bajaj, Nusli Wadia, Mukesh Ambani, Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar. Lata Mangeshkar said, "Pawarji is arguably India's tallest leader. He can transcend sectarian politics and uphold a cause."
Recalling her visit to Baramati, Mangeshkar described Pawar's hometown as a "centre of education and enterprise." "Pawarji has a ear for classical music; that should make every music lover happy," she said.
Stories of his administrative acumen abound. Ex-industries secretary B K Agrawal recalled how Pawar got the Bombay Stock Exchange phone lines reconnected within 48 hours of the 1993 blasts. "He rang up New Delhi and got equipment shipped to Mumbai by a late-night flight. He sent the chief secretary to the airport to receive it," said Agrawal. "He camped in Latur for nearly a month after the 1993 earthquake, and his instruction to the CMO in Mantralaya was that phone calls should be answered before the third ring," he said.
Describing Pawar as an "excellent administrator and mature politician," BJP's Ashish Shelar said, "As MCA president, Pawar gave me a free hand while hosting the World Cup at Wankhede stadium. As chairman of the infrastructure committee, I was saddled with problems. But Pawarji was cool and gave me valuable tips."
Controversies have often marred Pawar's political innings. He was in the eye of a storm in 1993 following allegations of land deals. "But Baba takes everything in his stride. 'Main zindagi kaa saath nibhataa chalaa gaya' is his credo," said Sule. Added Vijay, Supriya's teenaged son, "I admire grandpa for his spunk, his planning and ability to put in long hours of work. He is ready to meet visitors at 7am."
Political analyst Pratap Asbe said Pawar's no-nonsense style upsets many. "As CM he brought in the women's quota Bill despite protest in a section of Congress. He backed Muslim reformist leader Hamid Dalwai when Congress was wary of upsetting orthodox leaders," Asbe said. Pawar has reinforced his clout in the state by forming the Maha aha Vikas Aghadi. That he should continue to define Maharashtra's coalition politics is testimony to his leadership qualities, Asbe added.