‘Every inch a Pawar kin’: In Baramati, a new scion rises as Yugendra battles it out with Ajit

The hectic activity at Govindbaug is a pointer to a fresh round of the Pawar versus Pawar battle shaping up in the Pawars’ pocket borough of Baramati.

A little later, dressed in a white kurta-pyjama, Yugendra emerges from Govindbaug, a scarf marked with the symbols of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties draped around him. He patiently listens to his supporters while also replying to reporters’ questions before stepping out at 8.30 am.

On Yugendra’s itinerary for Wednesday are at least 12 villages of the constituency — Dhakale, Jalkewadi, Saibachiwadi, Mudale, Kanadwadi, Moralwadi, Modve, Murti, Jogwadi, Ambi Budurk, Morgaon and Jalgaon KP.

Half an hour later, he arrives in Dhakale to an unusual reception, where the crowd does not go delirious upon seeing him but is intent on listening to him. Yugendra first heads to the local temple to pay obeisance to the deity and prepares to address a corner meeting in its premises.

As a villager in his mid-40s, clad in a floral shirt and a brown pants, who introduces him to the gathering, tells him how Dhakale had preferred Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule over Ajit’s wife Sunetra Pawar as the Baramati MP in the recent Lok Sabha polls, Yugendra quickly takes to the mic and spells out numbers from his sheet to highlight how their support ensured Sule was ahead. He thanks the villagers.

“I have toured the entire constituency three or four times already. You too should go around the village and try to meet each and every person… Every vote matters in this election,” he cautions his supporters.

His appeal to his supporters underlines the fact that he faces a tough challenge in Baramati against Ajit, who is seeking a record ninth term as an MLA from the seat.

Yugendra then turns to the “real problems” plaguing the constituency – water shortage – which he says has emerged as a serious issue. “Baramati taluka is reeling from water shortage. Pawar saheb brought the Jinai-Shirsai lift irrigation scheme. However, only 80% of it has been implemented and thus water is not reaching here. Even some pockets of Baramati city do not get drinking water. My priority will be to ensure water for every Baramatikar,” he says as the crowd breaks into applause.

Making his electoral debut, Yugendra says he wants to be identified as one among the people. “I want to strike a close rapport with them,” he says.

As an educated youngster in his mid-20s questions him on the lack of jobs in Baramati. Yugendra, 33, breaks into a smile and claims, “Not a single new industry has been set up in Baramati over the last several years. This is unlike when Pawar saheb was the CM. The lack of jobs is forcing youths to migrate. Give me a chance. I will set up an IT hub here on the lines of Hinjewadi (IT hub) in Pune. Then, we will have plenty of jobs.”

With the youngster seemingly satisfied with his response, the NCP (SP) candidate turns to another “real problem” – garbage. Holding that Baramati had “mountains of garbage” everywhere, Yugendra calls for the technology that Israel uses, to convert trash into gas, to be implemented in the constituency.

Significantly, in his campaign, Yugendra keeps showering praises on his granduncle, seemingly in a bid to make it a Pawar versus Ajit contest. “It is not exactly a Pawar versus Ajit battle but we have to protect the ‘swabhimaan’ (self-respect) of Pawar saheb. All his life, he served Baramatikars, Maharashtra and India…We have to strengthen his hands and bring him and [Shiv Sena (UBT) chief] Uddhav Thackery back to power to ensure development,” he urges the crowd.

Giving credit to Pawar for ensuring “rapid development” of the constituency, Yugendra, in an apparent dig at his uncle, says: “Baramati has suffered as its development has been hit hard in the later stages.”

Yugendra then shifts from the “real problems” to slamming the BJP for “breaking the party (NCP) which Pawar saheb floated and nurtured”. “Today, leaders of the BJP-led Mahayuti are bowing before their masters in Delhi while being mute spectators as our industrial units being spirited away to Gujarat, depriving lakhs of youth of employment opportunities,” he alleges, concluding his address. He then interacts with local residents before heading off to his next destination.

However, he refrains from attacking Ajit and makes no reference to him in his speeches. “I do not want to get personal. I only want to highlight my vision for Baramati and the positive things which I intend to implement,” he tells The Indian Express.

Preferring “interactive” meetings to one-sided speeches, each of Yugendra’s meetings draws a crowd of around 150-200 people, mostly youths who seem curious to interact with him. “I came here to see how he looks and speaks. He looks every inch like a Pawar family member,” says Ashok, who is in his early twenties.

Many from both rural and urban belts in the constituency seem to repose their faith in Ajit, but believe it would be a tough contest. “Though Yugendra is new, he has the backing of Pawar saheb. This time, it will not be easy for Ajit, although he has done a lot for Baramati,” says Balasaheb Nanware, a Baramati resident.

The new scion of the Pawar family proceeds to Jalkewadi and Saibachiwadi, where he again highlights the constituency’s “water woes”. He then proceeds to address a corner meeting at Modale before interacting with the villagers of Kannadwadi in the afternoon.

In Jalgaon KP village, several voters seem to favour the NCP chief. “Ajitdada has been MLA seven times. Our water problems have eased because of him. Yugendra is new and is putting in a lot of hard work but dada has already done a lot for Baramati,” says Bhau Kashid.

To dispel fears of his “inexperience”, Yugendra often invokes his famous family and tries to convince people of his “credentials”. “In 1967, Pawar saheb contested for the first time, then it was Ajit Pawar in the 1990s and later the baton passed on to Sule and Rohit Pawar. Everyone was new when they started off. Similarly, I am also new. Give me an opportunity to prove my mettle,” he tells the gatherings.