Sharad Pawar, the great elder of Maharashtra politics, has become the frontrunner to be appointed as the next UPA president to replace Sonia Gandhi as she appears poised to step down from office.
According to sources, Sonia Gandhi’s reluctance to continue in the top position has been evident for a while and she is hopeful that her replacement will soon be found and Pawar is the man who will likely fill the position.
Congress will hold elections early next year to select a new president, and while Rahul Gandhi is unwilling to take office, it is clear that the party is likely to get a new president soon. Sonia Gandhi was forced to become interim president after Rahul Gandhi resigned as party chairman following the debacle of the Lok Sabha elections.
Unlike last time, when Sonia Gandhi resigned as president of Congress but continued as president of the UPA and also as leader of the parliamentary party, this time her retirement is scheduled to be complete. And therefore he is likely to resign the post of UPA president, sources told News18.
So, are they the possible candidates to replace it? Sources said that a president is needed who is a veteran and astute politician, and who can also negotiate with other parties.
Powerful regional actors like Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and MK Stalin’s DMK may not agree to negotiate with young leaders in Congress, as Rahul Gandhi puts it. Furthermore, with Congress in a very weak position, the power that Sonia Gandhi wielded as UPA president has now diminished.
So for her replacement, the search is for someone who has the qualities that she had and, more importantly, who also has the political power to take on the charisma of Prime Minister Modi.
Pawar, sources said, is probably the favorite. The Maratha strongman shares a good equation with almost every party, and last year he also showed that he is still a political mastermind after he made an impact on the BJP and formed the government in Maharashtra with the NCP-Shiv Sena combination. Congress.
Sources said Pawar retains the fascinating quality of being able to prevail over friend and foe alike, which will be crucial when managing alliances as head of the UPA. When Pawar answers the phone, senior leaders will likely come online, but this may not be true for Mamata Banerjee, who was reluctant to speak to Rahul Gandhi.
Pawar also has the respect of the prime minister, so it may not be difficult to establish a working relationship. The only problem is that many within Congress feel the canny Pawar cannot always be trusted.
As long as Congress had Sonia Gandhi as president of the UPA, her participation in the post added to Congress could despite the poor electoral results lately. So why give Pawar the space? Some within Congress suggest that the NCP should merge with Congress and then accept Pawar as president of the UPA.
If Pawar really does replace Sonia Gandhi, there would be great irony, as politics frequently casts. He was one of Sonia Gandhi’s main opponents for being a foreigner, and from this fight the PNC was born.
Today, Pawar himself has the advantage of being his successor.
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