‘Withdraw your comment about my age’: Sharad Pawar quips when queried on PM aspiration

The 82-year-old NCP leader said he was not in the race to become the prime minister and was only trying to a bring together a stable leadership that focuses on development.

Sharad Pawar’s health suddenly took an adverse turn in 1999 when he was diagnosed with oral cancer and underwent several surgeries.

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‘Withdraw your comment about my age’: Sharad Pawar quips when queried on PM aspiration

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Apart from his political acumen, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar’s sense of humour is famous in political circles. The well-read man often sprinkles his speeches with jokes and amusing anecdotes. On Monday, while interacting with the reporters at Pune’s Balgandharva Auditorium, Pawar, 82, displayed this ability to crack up the gathering when a reporter referred to his age.

Posing a question on his motive of meeting Opposition leaders and trying to bring together an anti-BJP front, a reporter asked, “Some people are saying that you still see some hope to get the PM’s chair, and hence you are working so hard even at this age to bring together an alliance of opposition parties…”

The leader interjected before the reporter could finish the question, “Firstly, I strictly tell you to take back your words ‘even at this age’,” and broke into a smile as the gathering laughed. The reporter complied with Pawar’s request and said he was withdrawing his “objectionable comment”.

Pawar clarified that he was not in the race to become the prime minister. “I am absolutely not in the PM race. All we want is a stable leadership that focuses on development. We all (Opposition leaders) will sit together and take a decision. It’s my responsibility to support the leaders who can get public support and deliver on these aspects,” said Pawar.