No politician other than Sharad Pawar knows how rebellion works and how it is tamed because he has done it with perfection in the past, the latest being a revolt by his nephew Ajit Pawar in 2019. Pawar himself had become the Maharashtra CM by toppling the then government. While it’s baffling that he appears to have adopted a hands-off approach to the present crisis, sources say he hasn’t laid down his sword just yet as far as his party and the MVA’s future are concerned.

Pawar was responsible for Chhagan Bhujbal’s dramatic defection from the Sena to the Congress in 1991. Later, he split the Congress in 1999 forming his own party. Pawar’s reputation precedes him. Political circles love to find his ‘unseen’ role in whatever unexpected happens.