Sushilkumar Shinde’s recently released memoir reveals lesser-known and interesting facets of India’s political history and politicians as well as the social and political developments over the past five decades that Shinde has witnessed as a politician. Born to a cobbler in Solapur, Shinde rose to become India’s Home Minister, the chief minister of Maharashtra and the Governor of Andhra Pradesh during his 50 year-long political career.
A law graduate from Kolhapur’s Shivaji University, Shinde began his professional life as a bailiff in a Solapur court and then joined the police force as a sub-inspector. But life had other plans. His senior by eight months, Sharad Pawar had urged Shinde to join politics. Which he did and later went on to occupy several high positions in the country.
Shinde won elections to the legislative assembly from Solapur from 1974 and given his dedication to the party, was put in-charge of Sonia Gandhi’s election campaign in Amethi in 1999. Her thumping victory is said to have consolidated his close association with the Gandhi family and the Congress, a party he has stayed loyal to. On his party bosses’ insistence, Shinde had unsuccessfully contested the vice-presidential elections against the National Democratic Alliance’s candidate in 2002. In 2003, he became the first Dalit to occupy the post of the chief minister of Maharashtra after his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh resigned. Until then, political parties had stuck to members of the Maratha community as their chief ministerial picks given the caste structure in the state.
After a stint as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh in 2004, Shinde moved to Delhi and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was the Union Power Minister and even led the prestigious and sensitive Home ministry. His tenure as the country’s home minister saw two major decisions—the hanging of Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab.
Affable and soft spoken, the light eyed politician from Solapur has friends across political parties and few foes. He shared a close rapport with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and continues to be friends with Pawar. His warm relationship with Vilasrao Deshmukh had apparently earned them the sobriquet of do hanson ka joda because each would recommend the other’s name for the state’s top job whenever the Congress was scouting for a change of guard in Maharashtra.
While his two older daughters stayed away from public life, the former minister’s youngest daughter Praniti followed her father into politics, taking baby steps into public life with an NGO that worked with the women of Solapur. She won her first election in 2009 and has, since then, been a three-time legislator and first time MP from Solapur, a constituency nurtured by her father.
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