It will be a family contest on the Baramati seat in Maharashtra as the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party officially declared his wife Sunetra Pawar as the candidate on Saturday.
Sunetra’s sister-in-law and the Pawar senior's daughter Supriya Sule has represented the seat since 2009. She is contesting again as the INDIA bloc’s candidate.
"I thank Narendra Modiji, Amit Shah, and all the leaders of Mahayuti (Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP) for considering me capable of fighting the election," Sunetra told a TV channel after her name was announced.
Interestingly, the candidatures of Sunetra and Sule were announced on the same day. NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) had declared its first list of five candidates from Maharashtra, hours before NCP state unit president Sunil Tatkare released the party's candidate list.
Even before Sunetra's name was formally announced, she had started campaigning and meeting various social groups.
Though Sunetra is a novice in electoral politics, Baramati is set to witness a tight contest as the real fight is seen as between Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar.
Baramati Lok Sabha constituency includes six assembly segments—Baramati town, Indapur, Daund, Purandar, Bhor and Khadakwasla. Bhor and Purandar assembly segments are with Congress, Baramati and Indapur were won by the NCP (undivided), while the BJP represents Daund and Khadakwasala.
The NCP suffered a virtual split after Ajit, along with several MLAs loyal to him, revolted against Sharad Pawar and joined the Eknath Shinde government in July last year. In the ensuing power tussle, Sharad Pawar lost the party name and symbol to Ajit, and was allotted the name NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) by the Election Commission.
Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
