Five Decades In Politics

Described by Sonia Gandhi as “a stalwart Congressman symbolizing the party’s foundational values” and praised by Sharad Pawar for embodying Lord Krishna’s mantra of responding to challenges with a smile rather than anger, veteran politician Sushilkumar Shinde has had an unparalleled career in Indian politics. Starting life as a child laborer and ward boy to support his family, Shinde rose through the ranks to hold some of the country’s highest offices, including Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Union Home Minister, All India Congress Committee General Secretary, and the UPA’s vice-presidential candidate. In his candid memoir, co-written with Rasheed Kidwai, he recounts the highs and lows of his fifty-year political journey—from being “discovered” by Sharad Pawar and fighting his early elections to ascending to the pinnacle of power. His tenure as Union Home Minister was marked by pivotal and controversial events, such as the trials and executions of Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru, the 2012 Delhi gangrape case, investigations into so-called ‘Hindu terror’ groups, and the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh while he served as governor. Shinde offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on these moments and reflects on the failures of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA II government that led to the Congress coalition’s defeat by the BJP-led NDA in 2014. President Pranab Mukherjee once remarked that Shinde’s story is the story of India itself. Five Decades in Politics is a compelling memoir that inspires through the remarkable tale of perseverance and leadership spanning a lifetime.