In December, Ajit Pawar had said that in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Mahayuti (Grand Alliance) would contest on the four seats the party had won in the 2019 polls.
Of these four seats, Baramati constituency has become the battleground for both the camps now as Ajit Pawar is MLA from Baramati while Sr Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule represents the constituency in Parliament. To make matters worse, it is expected that Sule will face an opponent from within the family as Ajit Pawar may pit his wife Sunetra Pawar against her.
Though Sunetra Pawar has never contested a major election, she has been working for the people of Baramati through her social initiatives. She is the founder of Environmental Forum of India, an NGO founded in 2010, and was a mentor in inculcating the concept of eco-villages in India. She also serves as a trustee for the indigenous and well-known educational institution Vidya Prathishtan. Sunetra Pawar has been a Think Tank member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum in France since 2011. She is also the chairman of the Baramati High Tech Textile Park which is considered one of the success stories of the area.
On the other hand, Supriya Sule has been representing the constituency in Parliament since 2009. Before her, Sharad Pawar represented Baramati from 1996 to 2004. In the 2019 elections, Sule defeated BJP candidate Kanchan Kul with a margin of 1,55,774 votes.
However, this will be the first time that Sule will battle it out to wrest Baramati after a split in the party. In such a scenario, if Sunetra Pawar is pitted against her, Baramati’s voters will have to choose between their ‘Tai’ (Sule) or ‘Vahini’ (Pawar).
To drive home the point that Sunetra Pawar is a worthy opponent, the Ajit Pawar faction has started campaigning in the constituency. Trucks with pictures of Sunetra Pawar and Ajit Pawar are also seen in Baramati. Apart from this, an online campaign has been launched in support of Sunetra Pawar.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Sule said: “How can this be a family fight? Anyone can contest elections in a democracy. I also said that if they have a strong candidate like me, then I am ready to talk to that candidate. Whatever topic, time, or place they decide, I am ready to sit and discuss.”
There are six state assembly constituencies in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. Daund and Khadakwasla assembly constituencies were won by the BJP in the 2019 state assembly election. Purandar and Bhor are with the Congress, while Indapur and Baramati were won by NCP.
After the split in the NCP, four consistencies are with ‘Mahayuti’ (Eknath Shinde + Devendra Fadnavis + Ajit Pawar) while two are with the Maha Vikas Aghadi. This means, according to the number game, it won’t be easy for Sule to sail through and Sunetra Pawar’s candidature will only add more hurdles in her journey.
Sule has brought in funds and developmental work to Baramati and is known to enjoy a good connect with the people. Post the split in the party, she also has the sympathy of her constituency. But the question remains if all these will translates into votes. On the other hand, Ajit Pawar-led NCP has a slight edge, given that the Election Commission has given them the party name and election symbol.
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