Maharashtra Assembly polls: Pawar vs Pawar in Baramati, Atram vs Atram in Aheri as NCP (SP) declares 45 candidates

This is the second family fight within the Pawar faimly in their pocketborough Baramati.

Yugendra is the son of Ajit Pawar’s elder brother Sriniwas Pawar. (File)

Setting the stage for another Pawar versus Pawar battle, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Thursday fielded Yugendra Pawar from the Baramati Assembly constituency, pitting him against his uncle and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Yugendra is the son of Ajit Pawar’s elder brother Sriniwas Pawar.

The announcement came as state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil declared the party’s first list of 45 candidates on Thursday. The party announced Yugendra’s candidature from Baramati a day after the NCP declared that Ajit Pawar, who had in the run-up to the elections on November 20 indicated his reluctance to contest from Baramati — a seat he has won seven consecutive times and never lost in the last 30 years — would also contest from the seat.

“The decision to field Yugendra from Baramati was taken following demands by the local party cadre. He is young and educated, and a fresh face was preferred,” Patil said, while expressing confidence of the party winning the seat.

This is the second family fight within the Pawar faimly in their pocketborough Baramati. In the first electoral battle within the family, NCP (SP) working president and MP Supriya Sule, daughter of party chief Sharad Pawar, defeated NCP candidate Sunetra Pawar, wife of her cousin Ajit Pawar, to win the Baramati Lok Sabha seat this year.

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The Lok Sabha victory in the high-profile contest by a huge margin has given a boost to the NCP (SP) against the NCP in the constituency in the run-up to the Assembly elections. The NCP (SP) has been promoting Yugendra in the Baramati Assembly segment since the Lok Sabha elections, where he played a major role in the election campaign of Sule and managed to ensure a lead of over 48,000 votes for her against his aunt Sunetra.

While renominating all the loyal legislators who stood by party chief Sharad Pawar during the rebellion by his nephew Ajit Pawar, the NCP (SP) on Friday, in another family fight, pitted Bhagayshri Atram against his father Dharambaba Atram of the NCP in Aheri. Among the new faces fielded by the NCP (SP) is Rohit R R Patil, son of late state minister R R Patil, Tasgaon Kawthemahkal.

The NCP (SP) has pitted Devdutt Nikam against Dilip Walse-Patil of the NCP in Ambegaon. The list of candidates include loyalists Jayant Patil from Islampur, Anil Deshmukh from Katol, Rajesh Tope from Ambad Ghansawangi, Balasaheb Patil from Karad North, Jitendra Awhad from Mumbra-Kalwa, Shashikant Shinde from Koregaon, Ashok Pawar from Shirur and Rohit Pawar from Karjat Jamkhed.

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The party has fielded Harshwardhan Patil from Indapur, Sandeep Naik from Belapur, Bapu Pathare from Vadgaonsheri, and Samarjit Ghatge in Kagal, who recently left the BJP to join the party. It has also fielded Rajendra Shingane from Sindhkhedraja, who left the NCP and joined the NCP (SP). Rani Lanke, wife of MP Nilesh Lanke, has been fielded from Parner, which her husband won in the previous election. Lanke had quit the NCP to join the NCP (SP) ahead of the Assembly elections and was elected to the Lok Sabha by defeating then sitting BJP MP Sujay Vikhe-Patil in Ahmednagar.

Also Read | With Pawar saheb by my side, I am 100 per cent confident of winning Baramati seat, says Yugendra as another Pawar vs Pawar battle ensues in family bastion

State women wing NCP (SP) chief Rohini Khadse has been fielded from Muktainagar, which her father Eknath Khadse represented for long. Pune city NCP chief Prashant Jagtap has been pitted against sitting NCP legislator Chetan Tupe from Hadapsar.

“The NCP (SP) has given candidature to a few who recently joined the party after considering their strength in the respective Assembly constituencies. In fact, there were many who wanted to join the party. We did not take those with a tainted image,” Patil said.

He said the second list would be declared in the next two days after the seat-sharing is completed within the MVA.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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