PNC Leader Praful Patel | Photo credit: PTI
Key points
- Several opposition leaders have expressed their wish for Sharad Pawar to become the head of the UPA
- Congress is silent on the issue, but its Maharashtra allies Shiv Sena and NCP continue to discuss the issue.
Bombay: The leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (CPN), Praful Patel, opined on Saturday that the party’s unfulfilled dream of seeing party supreme Sharad Pawar as prime minister can now be fulfilled. He also affirmed that a united opposition can bring about change in the country.
In an article published to mark Sharad Pawar’s 80th birthday, Patel wrote about the veteran leader’s political prowess and the impact it can have on national politics.
“If the entire opposition remains united, then we can make a difference … If all of Maharashtra supports Sharad Pawar, then it is only natural that a different picture could emerge,” he said.
On whether Pawar can become the next prime minister, the PNC leader said: “The unfulfilled dream of our party will come true.”
This occurs when Pawar, who is a member of Rajya Sabha, celebrates his 80th birthday today. Hours earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his wishes to the supreme of the PNC.
Pawar, who was born on December 12, 1940 in Baramati, Maharashtra, has a political career spanning more than 60 years. In 1967, he was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Baramati constituency on a Congressional ballot and has been in public service ever since.
However, in 1999, he severed ties with Congress to form the Nationalist Congress Party. He also served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra and held several key ministerial portfolios at the Center.
