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Journalism of Courage
Baramati that saw an intense Pawar versus Pawar battle in the Lok Sabha elections a few months ago is gearing up for round two with a “reluctant” Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ajit Pawar will take on his nephew Yugendra from the rival NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) in the Assembly polls next month.
Yugendra is the son of the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister’s brother Shriniwas and was named as the NCP(SP)’s candidate from the Baramati Assembly seat on Thursday. Speculation about his entry into politics first emerged in February after he visited the new NCP(SP) office, days after Ajit claimed he had been “isolated” by the family following the split in the party the year before. “I have not decided to join politics. I heard about the new NCP(SP) office and hence decided to visit it and extend support to Sharad Pawar, the head of the family,” he said at the time, adding that he would do whatever his grand-uncle asked him to. According to NCP (SP) insiders, Pawar had tasked Yugendra with rebuilding the party in Baramati after the split in the party.
In the Lok Sabha polls, the NCP (SP) received a big boost after Baramati MP Supriya Sule, Pawar’s daughter, triumphed over Ajit’s wife Sunetra by more than 1.5 lakh votes. In the Baramati Assembly segment, Yugendra campaigned extensively for Sule and managed to get a 48,000-vote lead for her.
“We have done good work during the Lok Sabha election and will have to do the same during the Assembly polls. We have to carry forward the thoughts of Sharad Pawar and the progressive ideologies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule, and Babasaheb Ambedkar. I will give full support to the NCP(SP) candidates,” Yugendra said on Tuesday.
Yugendra is also the treasurer of the Vidya Pratishtan, an educational institution founded by his grandfather, and also heads the Baramati Taluka Kustigir Parishad, a local outfit of wrestlers. He completed his higher education in the US but returned to join his father’s business, serving as the Director of the Sharayu Group of Companies that deals with logistics, automobile dealerships, security services and real estate. Through the Sharayu Foundation, Yugendra also does social work in the constituency, according to NCP (SP) leaders.
Following his wife’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, Ajit who has been winning Baramati since 1991 has tread cautiously and publicly admitted it was a mistake to field Sunetra against his cousin as it led to differences in the family. He had also hinted that he would not contest the Assembly polls, giving rise to speculation that his son Jay would take the political plunge. However, he said he changed his mind after party leaders and his supporters convinced him to fight the election.
As the Deputy CM, who is expected to file his nomination on October 28, made it clear that he would not be able to campaign in Baramati as he would tour the state, Jay and Sunetra are holding the fort. “Ajit Pawar has always prioritised development over politics in the constituency. We will carry forward the development,” Jay said in Baramati on Wednesday.
Taking to the field for Yugendra, it is Sule who is leading the NCP (SP)’s charge for the Assembly election. “The credit for the Ladki Bahin Yojana must go to the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency as it was launched after the sisters here gave the ruling alliance a jolt in the parliamentary polls. They launched the scheme as they realised they cannot meddle with the sisters of Baramati,” she said at a rally in the constituency on Tuesday.
Targeting her cousin, Sule said: “They do not understand the love of sisters, which cannot be bought for Rs 1,500 (monthly financial aid under the scheme). No sister looks at her brother with any expectation and only hopes to grow together while carrying the family legacy forward.”
The Baramati MP said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the alliance that her party is a part of, would not only provide financial assistance to people but also make them “self-reliant through training”, ensure the safety and security of people, especially the women.
Sule also hit out at Ajit for “ignoring” the state by not attending GST Council meetings. “Finance Ministers are supposed to attend the meetings but Ajit has not attended the meeting for the last five years and has sent representatives. How will the state get justice?” she asked.
