A day ahead of the counting of votes for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, NCP(SP)’s Yugendra Pawar, who is contesting against his uncle Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Friday said that he was confident of securing his maiden victory from the Baramati Assembly seat.
However, Yugendra added that the fight is likely go down to the wire.
“It is going to be a close fight. I think it will go down to the wire, something which has never happened in the past,” Yugendra told The Indian Express.
Baramati MP and NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule, too, said that it will be a “close fight”. “I think it will be close and tight fight.. In a close fight, anything can happen… It will go either way.” she said.
Since 1967, the Pawar family has never lost the Baramati seat, both in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. NCP veteran Sharad Pawar has himself won Baramati Assembly and Lok Sabha seats a total of 14 times.
While Ajit Pawar has won from the Baramati Assembly seat seven times and Baramati Lok Sabha seat once, Sule has been the Lok Sabha MP from Baramati four times. On the exit polls, Yugendra said: “Some of the exit poll results are showing my victory, some are showing the victory of my uncle. Anyways, I am confident of the victory.”
Yugendra, son of Sriniwas Pawar, elder brother of Ajit Pawar, said that several factors would contribute to his victory.
“The first and foremost is Pawar saheb. People of Baramati have a special place for him in their hearts. During my campaigning, my emphasis was on Pawar saheb’s contribution to the development of Baramati. But after he gave up, the development of Baramati has slowed down. Jobs are few and far. No new industrial unit has come up in last several years and the water scarcity continues… I sought votes for protecting the ”swabhiman” (self-respect) of Pawar saheb,” he said.
Yugendra said that he had also highlighted his vision for pushing the development of Baramati during campaigning.
“I got the opportunity to visit each and every village… One of the promises that I have made to the youngsters of Baramati setting up of IT hub in Baramati like Pune’s Hinjewadi. This will ensure that youth from Bamarati do not have to go to other cities and states for jobs,” he said.
Sule said that during the Lok Sabha elections too — she had contested against Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar— they were thinking that it would be close fight.
Story continues below this ad
“But it turned out to be one-sided one. We hope same thing happens this time… Baramati voters had given me a lead of 48,000 despite the fact that the oppostion had gone all out to woo them,” she said.
On their part, the NCP leaders said they are confident of Ajit Pawar’s victory. “Our national president has won the seat seven consecutive times. He has also won the seat Baramati Lok Sabha seat once. He is admired across Maharashtra for his leadership qualities. He has worked relentlessly for the development of Baramati. If he is fielded anywhere in the state, he will still win. We have no doubt about his victory from Baramti,” said NCP spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare.
Tatkare dimissed the possibility of the Baramati election going down to the wire. “Ajit Pawar will win by a margin of over 50,000 votes…In 2019, he had won by a record margin of 1.67 lakh votes,” he said.
Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis.
Professional Legacy
Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles.
Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change.
Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities.
Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees.
Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area:
1. Political Shifts & Alliances
"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala.
"BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls.
"Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections.
"NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections.
2. Civic & Administrative Accountability
"PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions.
"93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads.
3. Social & Labor Issues
"As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra.
"Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse.
Signature Beat
Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport.
X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More
