You must stay firm, encourage people like us: Sanjay Raut to Sharad Pawar on his retirement

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Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday described NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar as the "Bhishma Pitamah" of parliamentary politics and expressed disapproval of any plans by him to retire from active politics.

According to news agency PTI, while speaking to reporters, Sanjay Raut emphasised that, at present, no Indian leader possesses as much parliamentary experience as Sharad Pawar, 83, who has a political career spanning for nearly six decades.

Sanjay Raut revealed that Sharad Pawar had previously expressed his desire to retire from active politics to him personally.

"I told him not to dwell on such thoughts. It's experience, not age, that truly matters. His presence in parliamentary politics is like that of a guide and a lighthouse," said the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader.

"He has spoken of retirement publicly before. His vast experience is a great benefit to newcomers in politics. It seems that he has been troubled by the state of politics for some time. He has witnessed the kind of politics played by Delhi's politicians in Maharashtra and across the country, yet this pillar of strength still stands firm," Raut added.

According to PTI, Sanjay Raut referred to the 83-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief as the "Bhishma Pitamah" of Indian politics, drawing a parallel with the venerable figure from the epic Mahabharata.

'We must save Maharashtra and India'

Both Sanjay Raut and Sharad Pawar serve as members of the Rajya Sabha, and their respective parties are part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc at the national level.

According to PTI, Raut further stated that the country still needs strong leaders such as Pawar, who has held numerous significant roles throughout his political career, including serving as Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Union Minister for Defence and Agriculture, and heading cricket bodies such as the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"You (Pawar) must remain steadfast and inspire people like us to continue the fight. We must save Maharashtra and India, and we will need leaders like you to do that," he added.

Hinting at his potential retirement from parliamentary politics, Pawar said on Tuesday that he would have to consider whether to seek another term in the Rajya Sabha once his current tenure ends in 2026.

The veteran politician, who had a long association with the Congress party, has won 14 elections during his career. He first entered the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1967 and became a state minister just five years later.

(With PTI inputs)