OF the 11 constituencies going to polls in Maharashtra in the third phase on Tuesday, all eyes are on the high-stakes Baramati Lok Sabha constituency where a bitter battle is underway between three-time sitting MP Supriya Sule and her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar. Both the Pawar camps are expecting a higher turnout in the constituency in the backdrop of the intense verbal duel, finger-pointing, barbs and taunts that flew thick and fast between leaders of the two parties.
Many, however, believe that the real battle is between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar as their prestige on political turf is at stake. Among the seats where voting takes place on Tuesday include Baramati, Raigad, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangale. Poll officials said in all seats, voting will begin at 7 am and end at 6 pm at 23,036 polling centres in the 11 constituencies, officials said.
“We are all set for the election for which equipment was despatched and has already reached polling centres safely. More than 16,000 polling staff will be on duty tomorrow,” Kavita Dwivedi, returning officer for Baramati constituency, told The Indian Express in the evening.
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Asked whether they were expecting a higher turnout in Baramati seat, Dwivedei said nothing can be predicted as yet. ”We can’t say anything for now… the last time, it was 61 per cent,” she said.
Even as poll officials may not be confident of a higher turnout, both NCP camps are pinning hopes on more voters coming to cast the ballot this time. NCP (SP) chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said they were expecting a higher turnout in Baramati given the way Sharad Pawar has been rallying. ”Our party chief has campaigned aggressively. In the past, he didn’t have to campaign so hard, yet there would be a good turnout. This time, he himself led the campaign from the front and we are confident people of Baramati will turn up in large numbers,” he said.
Besides Pawar’s campaign, Tapase said that people have disapproved of the way in which Ajit Pawar ditched the party and joined hands with BJP. ” Also, the way Ajit Pawar repeatedly attacked our party chief for no fault of his, voters will give him a befitting reply,” he said.
NCP chief spokesperson Umesh Patil said they were expecting a higher turnout in Baramati but not at other place due to soaring temperatures. ”In Baramati, it is true that the election atmosphere has been all charged up. It seems like the entire nation’s attention was on Baramati. We think voters will turn up tomorrow in large numbers to exercise their franchise,” he said.
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Former corporator Nilesh Ingole, who belongs to Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the Baramati seat has generated much interest among the general public. ”The two rallies held yesterday reflected the exuberant public mood in Baramati,” he said
Ingole said they are going all-out to lure voters to polling centres. ”Scores of our party workers have been campaigning hard in Baramati city. We have put place a huge team and a team of at least 20 have been given the charge to look after a polling centre. Our focus has been to persuade as many voters to cast their vote. We believe our party chief Ajit Pawar’s appeal to vote for development of Baramati will go down well with the voters,” he said.
Parth Pawar, son of the Dy Chief Minister is leading his mother Sunetra’s campaign.
Ingole said Baramati city area has always seen around 70 per cent voting. ”This time, we expect it to be between 70 and 80 per cent,” he said.
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On Sunday, the exhilaration among Baramati residents had to be seen to be believed. Especially at Sharad Pawar’s rally, decibel levels shot up as the young and the old mobbed the Maratha strongman, the moment he arrived at the venue, and his party leaders did not care to spare the Dy CM Ajit Pawar. At another rally, Ajit generated a lot of heat, running down his cousin and nephew Rohit Pawar.
People of Baramati percieve the real battle to be between Ajit and Sharad Pawar and not Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar. ”Sharad Pawar wants to keep intact his political prestige which he has maintained since 1967, as he has never lost an election. Ajit Pawar is eyeing the CM’s chair and this win will elevate his status further which might compel BJP to carry out a change of guard in the state,” said an old-time resident of Baramati.
Pawar has won the Baramati Lok Sabha seat eight times, while Sule has won it thrice since 2009. Ajit Pawar had won the seat in 1991. However, Sunetra Pawar had never contested any election before she was fielded for this LS election. This is the first time that the battle is between two Pawars of the same family. Except for the 2014 elections, when Mahadev Jankar gave her a scare in the initial round of vote counting, Sule has won the seat with a comfortable margin of votes.
Voters, staff, centres
Baramati LS constituency has 23,72,668 voters, of which Daund has 3,0,4607 voters, Indapur has 3,23,541 voters, Baramati has 3,69,217, Purandar has 4,29,351, Bhor has 4,07,921 and Khadakvasla has the maximum at 5,38,031 voters.
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Daund Assembly seat has 309 polling centres and 2,597 polling staff. Indapur Assembly seat has 330 polling centres and 2518 polling staff. Baramati Assembly seat has 380 polling centres and 3,500 polling staff. Purandar Assembly seat has 421 polling centres and 3,377 polling staff. Bhor Assembly seat has 561 polling centres and 4,062 polling staff. Khadakvasla Assembly seat has 465 polling centres an 4,049 polling staff.
”Everything is ready as per the plan. All polling staff are expected to reach their respectives centres by this evening. To ensure law and order during the voting period, arrangements have been made. We appeal to voters to exercise their franchise without any fear,” Dwivedi said.
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