Not keen on UPA chairman’s post, Congress better positioned: Sharad Pawar

The NCP youth wing, which had recently proposed Pawar’s name for the post, said it will persuade him to take up the role so as to unite the Opposition and take on the BJP in the 2024 polls.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Apr 3, 2022 12:57 PM IST

NCP Chief Shawar Pawar (File)

Days after the NCP youth wing proposed his name for the post of UPA chairman, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday clarified that he was not interested in holding the post and, instead, backed the Congress for the role. The NCP youth wing, however, said it will persuade him to take up the post so as to unite the Opposition and take on the BJP in the 2024 elections.

“I am not interested in holding the UPA chairman’s post. Parties which have a mandate should come together and offer an alternative,” Pawar said, addressing a press conference in Kolhapur on Sunday. “I will support and extend all possible help to bring the Opposition together,” he added.

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Elaborating on why he was not keen on the UPA chairmanship, Pawar said, “I am not going to take the responsibility of leadership. A few days ago, our party’s youth wing passed a resolution recommending my name for the UPA chairman’s post, but I am not at all interested in it. I will not get into this; if the Opposition parties are ready to come together and provide an alternative, I will support them.”

Underlining the role of the Congress, Pawar said, “Political parties have power centres in different states, but the Congress is one such party which has a presence in varying degrees in every state of the country. The Congress might be away from power in Delhi, but a Congress worker is present in every district and village of the country. Therefore, if an alternative is being sought, then the party which has more reach should be kept in mind and that will be fit.”

“If leaders from different political parties are going to keep this in mind, then the possibility of finding an alternative cannot be ruled out. If we say that opposition parties should come together, then we cannot ignore the factual position,” he pointed out.

Reacting to Pawar’s refusal to hold the post of UPA chief, NCP youth wing working president Ravikant Varpe said, “Though our party chief may have said no, we will persuade him to accept the post in the larger interest of Opposition unity as he is the only leader who is capable of bringing everyone together. All non-BJP parties are looking up to him to lead the Opposition in the 2024 elections. Be it West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, they are all keen on Pawar taking over the UPA chairman’s post.”

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While Mamata met Pawar in Delhi last week and discussed various possibilities, the Sena has also openly backed Pawar for the post. “The NCP chief has wider acceptability and should become the UPA chairman to firm up Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 polls,” said Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut. However, Congress leader and Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan said, “Sena is not a part of the UPA. First, it should join the UPA and then speak about who should be its chairman.”

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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