Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has in his book fondly mentioned his driver 'Gama', who has been taking him to various parts of Maharashtra for the last 43 years.

In his revised autobiography 'Lok Majhe Sangati’ launched on Tuesday, Pawar lauded Gama for never causing any accident and never speaking about the leader's interactions with prominent personalities and politicians while travelling in his vehicle. "I have found some very close colleagues in my successful public life including my personal driver Gama, who has been with me for the last 43 years.

He has taken me to all the corners of the state, but we never met with an accident. It underscores how seriously he has taken his responsibility,” he wrote. Pawar said to save time and its better utilisation, he takes senior politicians, industrialists, reputed personalities and party officials along with him during his journeys.

"I have openly discussed many sensitive issues with them, but Gama has earned my trust that not a single word will go out," he said. “Gama is at times my guardian as well. He takes all the necessary care, including about my clothes, travel items, medicines and diet.

He has even scolded officials if I somehow miss my lunch or medicines," the 82-year-old NCP leader said. Describing how he got the driver, Pawar said Gama was earlier the driver of Dr M R Shah from Baramati (in Pune district). "When my then party gave me a vehicle for party works, I had no driver for it. One day, I casually mentioned to Dr Shah about my requirement and he immediately asked Gama to start working for me. Since then, he has been relentlessly working for me,” he said.

Pawar said Gama takes care of the vehicles in which he travels. “If the vehicle has some issues, he upfront refuses to use it for driving and I have always listened to him,” he said. Pawar said as he has been travelling across the state for so many years, Gama knows the locations and houses of various personalities and takes him there without any hassle.