A three-time Maharashtra chief minister in a political career spanning over five decades, Sharad Pawar has never been in absolute control of the state affairs before the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government came into existence last year. He fought his parent party Congress's 'ji huzoor' culture tooth and nail. When in Congress, his resistance got him shuttling between Mumbai and the national capital. He also spent several years sitting opposite Congress. And yet, he remained relevant and irreplaceable in the scheme of things in Maharashtra and elsewhere in the country. After falling out with the Congress yet again, he formed his own outfit the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 20 years ago. In 1999, the NCP partnered with the Congress on Pawar's terms, but he did not really enjoy the decisive power in the 20 years that MVA yields him now.

The past three months had a stamp of Pawar politics. It influenced all parties in the fray. The BJP was hit badly and relegated to the Opposition despite being a numero uno. The Sena and Congress were also hit, but they should be recovering once MVA's neonatal ailments get cured even as Pawar uses all his skills to keep scripting, directing and running the show for an unexpectedly long time, because the BJP thinks MVA is a charade that won't exist beyond next winter. "How long will the government last?" ask ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats and politically inclined common people. Interestingly, they also come up with an answer, "Only Sharad Pawar can hold MVA together or break it." This wide perception should act as a catalyst in Pawar's driving force behind MVA, which according to the talks in political circles, might turn Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray into a paper tiger, with NCP boss operating the CM's remote control. Besides administration, the state's policies would also be influenced by Pawar. It started with a crop loan waiver. Other major policies would need some more time to take shape.