Sharad Pawar
From GovernIndia
Background
Sharad Pawar entered the Maharashtra legislative assembly for the first time in 1967 from Baramati, representing the undivided Congress Party. After 12th Lok Sabha was dissolved and elections to 13th Lok Sabha were due, Pawar, along with P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar demanded that the Congress Party needed to project someone born in India as the Prime Ministerial candidate and not the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi. When his demands were not met, he founded the Naionalist Congress Party in 1999. He has previously held the posts of Defence Minister of India and Chief Minister of Maharashtra and currently serves as Minister of Agriculture. Pawar also served as the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India from 2005 to 2008.