Sharad Pawar

Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar, pronunciation: [ʃəɾəd̪ pəʋaːɾ], born 12 December 1940) is an Indian politician. Pawar served four terms as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and held cabinet positions in the Union Council of Ministers, including the Minister of Defence under P. V. Narasimha Rao and Minister of Agriculture under Manmohan Singh. He founded the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 1999, following a split from the Indian National Congress, The split occurred because they questioned Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin and argued that India’s Prime Minister should be a natural-born citizen. This ideological conflict led to the creation of a new party based on principles of nationalism, secularism, and democratic governance. and has served as President since its inception. Pawar leads his faction of the NCP in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament. He is the Chairperson of Maha Vikas Aghadi, a regional Maharashtra-based political alliance. And He is also Recognized as The Chanakya of Indian Politics.

Born in Baramati, Maharashtra, Pawar is the patriarch of the Pawar political family that includes his daughter Supriya Sule, nephew Ajit Pawar, and grandnephew Rohit Rajendra Pawar.

Pawar served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 2005 to 2008 and of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2010 to 2012. He also headed the Mumbai Cricket Association from October 2013 to January 2017.

In 2017, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor.

Sharad Pawar is one of eleven children born to Govindrao Pawar and Shardabai Pawar. Govindrao's ancestors were relocated to Baramati from the nearby Satara region. Govindrao had a long career with the Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Sangh, a Baramati Farmers' Cooperative. He also managed Shahu Boarding, a student hostel, during the 1940s. In the 1950s, he was involved in the establishment of cooperative sugar mills in the area.

Govindrao Pawar was elected to the district local board three times between 1937 and 1952. He also managed his family's farm located in Katewadi, ten kilometres from Baramati. Sharad Pawar completed his education up to the 10th standard (SSC) under the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education at Maharashtra Education Society's High School in Baramati.

Pawar is married to Pratibha (née Shinde), daughter of the test cricketer Sadashiv Shinde. Their daughter Supriya Sule represents the Baramati constituency in the 17th Lok Sabha.

He is a senior member of the Pawar political family of Maharashtra. The family has two Members of Parliament and two Members of the state Legislative Assembly. Among them, Ajit Pawar was the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.