While launching the poll campaign at Shetfal in Solapur district on Sunday, Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar once again spoke about retiring from politics. Later, he said only “sanction” from the people would decide his political heir.

While Pawar has said that he wants to retire as he is 70 years old, “tired of politics” and wants to make way for the younger generation, this is not the first time that the Maratha strongman has talked about calling it quits. Earlier this year, on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections too, Pawar had said that he would not contest. But after filing his nomination papers, he said he was persuaded to do so by his followers.

NCP sources said Pawar was unlikely to retire, and his statement was a ploy to win the sympathy of voters ahead of the Assembly elections. However, in the event of Pawar actually retiring from politics, RAKSHIT SONAWANE takes a look at who could inherit his political legacy.

SUPRIYA SULE, 40

In the last few years, Pawar has groomed his daughter Supriya Sule, a microbiologist-turned-politician. Sule earlier teamed up with Laxman Mane, a Pawar protege and former MLC who is also the leader of denotified and nomadic tribes and an author, to run ashram schools for tribal students. In 2006, Sule was elected to the Rajya Sabha. Earlier this year, she contested the Lok Sabha elections from her father’s Baramati seat. But in a party dominated by conservative Marathas, Sule may not be acceptable to all regional satraps.

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