New Delhi: After the high-stakes family battle between the Pawars for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency this summer, the Baramati Assembly constituency is again witnessing round two of the same battle with NCP Chief Ajit Pawar taking on his nephew Yugendra Pawar. While it is the electoral debut for the young Yugendra, it is a matter of extreme importance and prestige for the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar to score victory from the seat he has won seven times consecutively since 1991.
However, it is not going to be easy this time. His political mentor, guru and uncle – Sharad Pawar, Chief of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) will be opposing him. Yugendra has the blessings of his grand-uncle Sharad Pawar who is out to avenge the July 2023 betrayal by Ajit when he parted ways with majority of NCP MLAs in tow and joined the Mahayuti government. As if this was not enough, Ajit rubbed salt on veteran Maratha leaders’ wounds by fielding his wife Sunetra Pawar against his cousin and Sharad’s daughter Supriya Sule from Baramati parliamentary seat. Not to forget, Supriya was a sitting MP from the seat. However, the people of Baramati gave a clear message and effective verdict. Sule defeated her sister-in-law Sunetra by over 1.50 lakh votes.
And it was not just Baramati, Ajit Pawar was badly humbled across the state. His party could win just one Lok Sabha out of the four it contested. The Mahayuti leaders held Ajit’s NCP as their weak link with some even suggesting severing ties with him. On the other hand, uncle Sharad Pawar, riding the sympathy wave won eight of the 10 Lok Sabha seats it contested. Ajit later claimed that it was a mistake for him to bring politics into the family and should not have fielded his wife against his sister.
However, betrayals are not easily forgiven in politics. With the bugle for the assembly elections, it was the turn of Sharad Pawar to give Ajit the taste of his own medicine. After the drubbing in Lok Sabha elections and criticism from allies, Ajit is desperate to impact the Maharashtra assembly elections for better bargains in the Mahayuti (Grand Alliance) government on coming to power. But for that to happen, he first needs to launch an effective and productive campaign for his candidates across the state. With senior Sharad Pawar planning to ambush him in Baramati, things are going to be a little tricky for Ajit on that front. Although his wife Sunetra and son Jay are holding fort for him in Baramati, the majority of the Pawar family looks to be siding with the challenger Yugendra. Ajit will have to find more time for Baramati than he must have initially planned. Especially, when cousin Supriya had managed a 48000-vote lead from the Baramati assembly segment during the Lok Sabha election.
Who is Yugendra Pawar
Yugendra, is the son of Ajit’s brother Shriniwas and was tasked by grand-uncle Sharad to rebuild the party in the Baramati following the split. By profession, the US educated Yugendra is director in the family business – Sharayu Group of Companies which deals in real estate, automobile dealerships and security services. He is also involved in various charity and social works in the Baramati region and is a well recognised face in the area. But as far as electoral experience is concerned, Yugendra has none and only managed Supriya Sule’s election in the Baramati assembly segment. According to party sources, Yugendra was told to make preparations to contest from Baramati soon after the Lok Sabha results in June.
Electioneering in Baramati
The NCP claims that Sharad Pawar has been involved in national politics for decades, and ever since, the responsibility to nourish and develop Baramati has lied with Ajit. As the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra holding plum ministries several times in the past as well, they say, Ajit has always prioritised Baramati and its people. Even Sunetra in her campaign speeches for her husband stresses that Ajit has “always prioritised development over politics in the constituency and will carry forward the development”. Ajit is also likely to benefit from Ladki Bahin Yojana, recently introduced by the Maharashtra government giving Rs. 1500 monthly allowance to poor girl-women. As Finance Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit was directly responsible for allotting the funds for the scheme.
Meanwhile, Supriya Sule is returning the favour of Lok Sabha elections and holding charge for her nephew Yugendra’s election. Rending people of Ajit’s betrayal, she claims that the credit for the Ladki Bahin Yojana should go to Baramati Lok Sabha because it was introduced only after the “sisters of Baramati” gave jolt to the Mahayuti in the polls. She promises that when the MVA government returns to power after the polls, not only will it provide financial assistance to the needy but also make them “self-reliant” through training and education.
Sentiments in Baramati
For people of Baramati, Sharad Pawar or ‘Sahab’ is akin to God if not God himself. They could not accept that Ajit Pawar could betray the man who has done so much for the region but also his nephew as well. For some, it was an unacceptable sin that the nephew had committed and needed to be taught a lesson. They decided accordingly. When the Lok Sabha election came, they stood with their ‘Sahab’ and taught Ajit a lesson in both – the moral as well as the political science.
However, now, their anger looks a bit subdued. They feel that Sharad Pawar’s betrayal has been avenged and it is time to move on from personal to political. Many believe that since ‘Dada’ (Ajit Pawar) has also stood with them through thick and thin and he has already suffered in the Lok Sabha election, he should be forgiven. Besides, neither Sharad Pawar or his daughter is in the fray. Besides, if Ajit wins, he can be anything from Deputy CM to CM of the state and flush the area with funds. However, if Yugendra wins, he will only be an ordinary MLA.
But all said and done, the ultimate win-loss in Baramati is likely to be decided by the efforts that Sharad Pawar makes in the constituency. For it is difficult to refuse Sharad Pawar anything here. If Sharad Pawar makes the seat a prestige issue, Ajit will have dark clouds hanging over his prospects in Baramati. Meanwhile, what would have been a clear seat for Ajit in normal circumstances have certainly become a thorn in his flesh.
