Will Ajit Pawar Shift from Turf Baramati to Make Way for Son Jay?

NCP leader Ajit Pawar has hinted at not contesting the upcoming assembly elections from Baramati and instead fielding his son, Jay Pawar, from the traditional stronghold, leaving the final decision to party workers and the NCP’s parliamentary board.

Speaking to the media in Pune, Ajit Pawar said his son’s potential candidacy from Baramati would depend on the demand from the public and party activists. “I have no interest in contesting. I’ve fought seven to eight elections. If there is a demand from the public and party workers regarding Jay, the parliamentary board of the NCP will take a decision. We will respect whatever decision is made,” he said.

So, which constituency is Ajit Pawar planning to contest from? According to reports, he might make a strategic move by contesting from the Karjat-Jamkhed constituency in Ahmednagar district. This will be a significant challenge to current MLA Rohit Pawar, who won the seat in the last assembly election by defeating BJP’s Ram Shinde.

The possibility of Ajit Pawar contesting from Karjat-Jamkhed gained momentum following a tweet by Rohit Pawar which came after Ajit Pawar publicly admitted in an interview that it was a mistake to field his wife against Supriya Sule in Baramati.

Responding to the admission, Rohit Pawar said: “I was sure that the decision to field Sunetra Kaki against Supriya Tai wasn’t Dada’s. You’ve admitted in an interview that it was a mistake, but your allies continue to say it was Dada’s decision. Though you term it a mistake, it was actually due to pressure from Gujarat leaders sitting in Delhi. Now, there’s talk of similar pressure on you regarding my constituency for the assembly elections.”

The tweet has fuelled speculation that Ajit Pawar might contest from Karjat-Jamkhed, setting the stage for a significant electoral battle within the Pawar family itself.