After Harshvardhan’s induction, Sharad Pawar’s politics in Pune district come full circle

By bringing Harshavardhan Patil into the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), its president Sharad Pawar’s political journey has come full circle. Pawar had previously defeated Harshavardhan’s uncle, Shankarrao Patil, twice in the Lok Sabha elections. The latest induction comes days after Pawar ahead of Lok Sabha polls met long-time detractor Anantrao Thopte from Bhor and bridged the differences between the two families to strengthen daughter Supriya Sule’s prospects in the general elections.
In the run-up to Lok Sabha polls, the NCP (SP) chief had also met several other leaders and political families such as Tawares and Kakades from Baramati whom he had not had word in the past five decades. The move helped Sule win the LS polls by a considerable margin.
At Indapur, the rivalry between Pawar and Shankarrao Patil has been known for many years. Shankarrao Patil was a prominent figure in the cooperative sector, and the two-time MP and six-term MLA was known for his lengthy political career as a staunch Congressman. The rivalry between the Patil and Pawar families spanned four decades and has often been highlighted during Lok Sabha elections in Western Maharashtra.
Reminding Harshavardhan of the rift between Shankarrao Patil and Pawar, BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said, “It is a well-known fact that Shankarrao had a long struggle against Sharad Pawar’s leadership. Harshavardhan should have thought of this before joining the NCP (SP).”
Harshvardhan Patil, once a Congress leader and later associated with the BJP, also for many years followed the rivalry. However, as Maharashtra’s political equations changed and from Maha Yuti, it became evident that the Indapur seat would go to Ajit Pawar NCP, Harshvardhan decided to switch and joined NCP (SP). From NCP, the two-term MLA Dattatray Bharne is likely to contest polls.
Abhijit Deshpande, a political observer said, “Indapur assembly seat is likely to be secured by the Ajit Pawar-led party, making it impossible for Harshvardhan Patil to get a candidacy from the BJP. Therefore, Patil chose to join Sharad Pawar’s group because he knew he would have a better chance of receiving a candidacy there.”
He further pointed out that this move reflects indicative broader trends in politics, which apply to all parties, especially in coalition politics.
During his joining, Harshvardhan said, “Our invisible hand helped Supriya Sule against Sunetra Pawar in the recent Lok Sabha elections, despite being in the BJP at the time.”
He further said, “Sharad Pawar as the “big boss of politics,” highlighting Pawar’s enduring influence in the political field.”