RIP Channaveer Kanavi: 93-year-old Kannada poet winds up earthly journey

Dharwad, Feb 16: Senior poet Nadoja Channaveer Kanavi, who had recovered from Covid-19 infection, passed away at a private hospital at Sattur near Dharwad on Wednesday following multi-organ failure.

He was 93 and is survived by his daughter and four sons. His wife Shantadevi had passed away last year.

Kanavi was admitted to a private hospital on January 14 after he complained of respiratory problems. On admission, Kanavi tested Covid-19 positive and was shifted to ICU. However, he had recovered from the infection but continued to remain on a ventilator for several days.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced that the government will bear his medical expenditure.

Bommai, during his visit to Hubballi on February 13, had visited Kanavi and wished him a speedy recovery. However, the health condition of Kanavi deteriorated on February 14. The doctors treating Kanavi had said that the chest infection was not responding to the medications and he was drowsy.

The blood pressure had fallen and medications were started to maintain the blood pressure.

There was further deterioration in his kidney function and the nephrology team was taking care of the same.

However, he failed to respond to medical treatment and breathed his last on Wednesday.

Born on June 18, 1928, at Hombal village in Gadag (then Dharwad) district, Channaveera Kanavi came to Dharwad to study at RLS High School. Murugha Mutt provided him shelter and food till he completed his schooling. After matriculation, he joined the Karnatak College for BA and that was where the poet in him bloomed, thanks to the then principal of the college, Dr V K Gokak, an eminent litterateur who was honoured with the Jnanpith Award.

Kanavi did his M A in Kannada from Karnatak University in 1952. Soon, he joined the publication wing of the University as a secretary and served there for 31 years before retiring as its director in 1983.

Kanavi has brought out 26 collections of poems starting with ‘Kavyakshi’ in 1949. He has published 28 books on criticism and essays. He had the privilege of several prestigious awards and positions coming his way. He was honoured with the Central Sahitya Akademi award for his collection of poems ‘Jeevadhwani’ in 1982, Karnatak Sahitya Akademi Award in 1985, Karnatak Rajyotsava Award in 1989, Pampa Award in 1999, ‘Nadoja’ honorary D Litt by Hampi Kannada University in 2002, honorary doctorate by Karnatak University in 2004 and Ambikatanayadatta National Award in 2012.

He was a member of Central Sahitya Akademi, Karnatak Sahitya Akademi, Kannada Book Authority, Karnatak University syndicate, president of Akhila Karnataka Kendra Kannada Kriya Samiti, Kannada Development Authority and Dharwad Sahitya Sambhrama Organising Committee. Kanavi had the privilege of presiding over the 65th Akhila Bharat Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held at Hassan in 1996. He had inaugurated the 'Mysuru Dasara Utsav' in 2016.

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What Next for NCP? After Ajit Pawar’s Death, Sunetra Pawar Steps Into Spotlight

News Network

January 28,2026

Mumbai: The sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in his hometown of Baramati has plunged the state into political uncertainty, raising a pressing question for both the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its rival faction, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar): what next?

For the two factions that emerged after the dramatic split of June–July 2023, the moment marks their gravest challenge yet. Many believe the answer now rests with party founder Sharad Pawar.

Sharad Pawar, who founded the NCP in 1999 after parting ways with the Congress over Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin, has already indicated his intention to step away from electoral politics once his Rajya Sabha term ends in April 2026.

Speaking at a public event in Baramati ahead of his 85th birthday on December 12, 2025, Pawar said he would not contest any further elections. “I have contested 14 elections. The younger generation needs to be given an opportunity,” he said, adding that he would decide later whether to seek another Rajya Sabha term.

Often described as the Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics, Pawar also spoke of his gradual withdrawal from active leadership. “For the first 30 years, I handled everything. For the next 25–30 years, Ajit Dada handled responsibilities. Now, arrangements must be made for new leadership,” he said.

Ajit Pawar’s death has dramatically altered that transition, especially as he was working towards reunifying the two NCP factions.

“After the developments of June–July 2023 and the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, there were deep changes within the family and the party. In the last six months, serious efforts were made to reunite. Even workers from both sides wanted unity. This is a massive blow,” a Pawar family insider told DH over phone from Baramati.

Electoral outcomes over the past year reflected the split. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, NCP (SP) recorded the best strike rate in Maharashtra, winning eight of the 10 seats it contested. The NCP, by contrast, won just one seat out of four.

However, the trend reversed in the subsequent Vidhan Sabha elections, where the NCP emerged stronger, securing 41 of the 288 seats, while NCP (SP) managed only 10.

Within NCP (SP), Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule serves as Working President, followed by leaders such as Rohit Pawar, state president Shashikant Shinde and former state chief Jayant Patil.

In the NCP, Praful Patel is the Working President and Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare heads the state unit. Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, is a Rajya Sabha MP, while their sons Parth and Jay are not actively involved in day-to-day politics. Parth Pawar briefly entered electoral politics in 2019 but lost the Lok Sabha election from Maval. Jay Pawar’s political debut was under consideration.

With Ajit Pawar gone, speculation has intensified that a member of the family may be asked to assume a larger role. For now, Sunetra Pawar is expected to play a key coordinating role in party affairs, alongside Patel and Tatkare.

The NCP continues to have several heavyweight leaders, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dattatreya Bharne, Manikrao Kokate and Dhananjay Munde.

Ajit Pawar had already begun steps towards reconciliation between the two factions. While they contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections separately, they later decided to fight the zilla parishad elections together under the ‘clock’ symbol—seen as the first formal step towards reunification.

Nagpur meet and party roadmap

Both NCP factions claim adherence to the ideology of ‘Shiv–Shahu–Phule–Ambedkar’. At the Rashtravadi Chintan Shivir held in Nagpur on September 19, 2025, the NCP reaffirmed its commitment to sarva dharma sambhav and discussed strengthening ties with the BJP “for the welfare and development of Maharashtra”.

In recent days, reports had suggested Ajit Pawar might return to the Maha Vikas Aghadi following the party’s poor performance in Pune municipal elections, but these claims were denied.

Big question for Maha Yuti

Ajit Pawar’s death also presents an immediate challenge for the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maha Yuti government. Pawar held crucial portfolios, including Finance, Planning and Excise. With the Budget Session approaching, appointing a new Finance Minister has become urgent.

Beyond numbers and portfolios, Maha Yuti has lost a swift decision-maker known for his administrative grip and political finesse—leaving a vacuum that will not be easy to fill.

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