With Ajit Pawar in the Maharashtra Assembly poll fray, Baramati set for another family fight

In the first electoral battle within the family, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule, daughter of party chief Sharad Pawar, recently defeated NCP candidate Sunetra Pawar, wife of her cousin Ajit Pawar, to win the Baramati Lok Sabha seat.

The 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 Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024.

The NCP (SP) has been promoting Yugendra Pawar 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.

Ajit Pawar later said it was his mistake to field his wife Sunetra against his cousin Sule as it had led to a fight within the Pawar family.

Ajit had hinted that he would not contest the Assembly elections but his supporters insisted that he contest the Baramati seat, which he has been representing for the last seven terms.

Senior NCP leaders too worked to make him change his mind. However, he clarified that he would not be able to campaign in Baramati as he has to move across the state for his party’s other candidates. He is now expected to file his nomination on October 28 and vehicles carrying his placards are moving around in the constituency.

Meanwhile, his wife and son Jay Pawar have been touring the Baramati constituency separately.

“Ajit Pawar is the party chief and cannot limit himself to campaigning in the Baramati Assembly constituency as he has to campaign for other candidates of the party across the state. He will hold a rally and road show while filing nomination and then return only on the last day of campaign,” said a NCP leader. Sunetra and son Jay are looking after the NCP’s campaign in Baramati, he said.

Dilip Walse-Patil (Ambegaon), Dilip Mohite (Khed Alandi), Atul Benke (Junnar), Anna Bansode (Pimpri), Dattatrata Bharne (Indapur), Sunil Shelke (Maval) and Chetan Tupe (Hadapsar) are among the others who made it to the NCP’s first list of 38 candidates for the November 20 elections, released on Wednesday.

The NCP is renominating the majority of MLAs who joined Ajit Pawar after his rebellion against his uncle Sharad Pawar.

The list also has three turncoats. Former Congress MLAs Hiraman Khoskar from Nasik’s Igatpuri and Sulbha Khodke from Amaravati in Vidarbha will now contest these seats as NCP candidates.

Former minister Rajkumar Badole, who switched from the BJP to the NCP on Tuesday, will contest the Arjuni-Morgaon seat in Gondiya district, replacing MLA Manohar Chandrikapure of the NCP.

Senior party leader and minister Chhagan Bhujbal will contest his Yevala seat in Nashik district. Other ministers such as Dilip walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, Anil Patil will be the NCP candidates in their Assembly constituencies.

Senior OBC leader and minister Chhagan Bhujbal will contest his Yevala seat in Nashik district. Other ministers such as Hasan Mushrif (Kagal), Dhananjay Munde (Parli), Aditi Tatkare (Shrivardhan), Sanjay Bansode (Udgir), and Anil Patil (Amalner) will be the NCP candidates in their Assembly constituencies.

Also renominated were MLAs Narhari Zirhwal (Dindori), Makrand Patil (Wai), Manikrao Kokate (Sinnar), Dharamrao Baba Atram (Ahire), Sangram Jagtap (Ahmednagar City), and Ashutosh Kale (Kopargaon).

The list, however, does not feature Dipak Chavan from Phaltan, Babandada Shinde from Madha and Rajendra Shingne from Sindkhedraja, all of whom have switched sides to join the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).