Mumbai:
The Sharad Pawar vs Ajit Pawar throwdown – and the legal squabble for control of the Nationalist Congress Party – has dominated Maharashtra politics for nearly a year.
And now – with less than a month for the 2024 Lok Sabha election – the Pawar vs Pawar spat may have a secondary storyline in Baramati – the ‘sugar bowl of Maharashtra’ – where Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, could face off against Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra.
Baramati has been the stronghold of the Pawar family since 1996.
Sharad Pawar is a six-time MP from this area, including four times in a row from 1996 to 2004. Crucially, the 1999 and 2004 wins came after he split from the Congress to form the NCP, underlining the fact Baramati voters followed Mr Pawar away from the party.
Since 2009 Baramati – which has never voted for the BJP or the Shiv Sena, and only four times since 1989 for a non-Pawar Congress candidate – has been held by Supriya Sule, who is bidding to become a four-time MP from the high-profile constituency.
In 2019 she swatted away the challenge of the BJP’s Kanchan Rahul Kul, picking up nearly 53 per cent of the votes and defeating her rival by more than 1.5 lakh ballots.
Marking a fourth consecutive win may not be quite as easy though.
In the continuing battle to go one-up on his uncle, Ajit Pawar has his eye set on the prestigious Baramati Lok Sabha seat. Earlier this month his party nominated his wife to contest the seat. Mr Pawar would perhaps have been the preferred choice, but he is also Deputy Chief Minister and would have had to resign had he won the parliamentary seat.
The BJP is desperate to win Baramati too; victory here will be a statement of intent against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, of which Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction is a part. It will also boost the ‘mission 45’ goal, which is to win 45 of the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats.
The two likely contenders found themselves face-to-face at a Hanuman temple in Baramati, where cordial greetings and a hug were exchanged. The temple has political significance as all Pawar family members, including Ajit, visit before launching their election campaigns.
In Ms Sule’s camp is, of course, her father and NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar. Also campaigning for her is Rohit Pawar, her nephew, who last month was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case.
The ED summons to Mr Pawar, a first-time MLA, have been slammed as politically motivated by Sharad Pawar’s NCP. Ms Sule, who accompanied her nephew on the day of questioning, also accused the BJP (again) of using probe agencies like the ED to target rival leaders.
Rohit Pawar has declared a wave of sympathy for the Sharad Pawar faction – triggered by Ajit Pawar’s breakaway and attacks on his 83-year-old uncle – will ensure Ms Sule’s win
Ms Sule has refrained from direct attacks on her sister-in-law, but has launched a wave of attacks on the political coalition she represents, which is made of the Ajit Pawar NCP faction, the BJP, and the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Ms Pawar, meanwhile, has been active trying to establish a political presence in the rural heartlands of Baramati. Her days begin at 8 am and include lengthy meetings with villagers to understand their concerns. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, she acknowledged her lower profile but said she remains committed to carving out her own identity.
All the while that the Supriya Sule-Sunetra Pawar story unfolds, there is a potential twist in the tale. Shiv Sena leader Vijay Shivtare has said he will contest the Baramati seat too
In the previous election, Mr Shivtare was a candidate from Purandar but lost, earning jibes from Ajit Pawar. This time around, Mr Shivtare is prepping to contest not Ajit Pawar’s wife.
He has, however, denied any talk of vendetta behind his decision
Baramati votes on May 7 and on June 4 the results will be declared.
