It’s Pawar vs Pawar as NCP factions face off in Baramati
Ajit Pawar’s group announces his wife Sunetra Pawar as ruling Mahayuti candidate, pitting her against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, the incumbent MP; MVAallied NCP faction releases first list of 5 candidates for Lok Sabha poll
Vijay Shivtare, senior Eknath Shindecamp leader and former twoterm MLA from Purandar (part of Baramati), publicly announced he would not be contesting the seat
The ruling Ajit Pawarled Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday officially announced the name of his wife, Sunetra Pawar, as the ruling Mahayuti candidate for the highstakes Baramati Lok Sabha seat in Pune district. While Ms. Sunetra Pawar’s name was long expected, it was formally announced by NCP State chief Sunil Tatkare.
She will be pitted against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, the incumbent Baramati MP, whose candidature was also announced on Saturday in the first list of five Lok Sabha candidates put out by the opposition NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction.
Poll on May 13
Elections in Baramati will be held in the fourth phase on May 13.
Besides Ms. Sule, the other seats and candidates announced by NCP (SP) State chief Jayant Patil are: Amol Kale (Wardha), Bhaskar Bhagare (Dindori), Dr. Amol Kolhe (Shirur) and Nilesh Lanke (Ahmednagar).
A threeterm MP from Baramati, Ms. Sule’s ‘candidature’ for the Pawar clan’s stronghold was already declared by her father some time ago.
Both Ms. Sule and Ms. Sunetra Pawar have thrown themselves into the Baramati poll campaign, given that this Lok Sabha seat is arguably the most keenly contested of all 48 seats in Maharashtra.
A number of developments preceded the announcement of Ms. Sunetra Pawar’s candidacy with the ruling Mahayuti (Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena, the BJP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP) gaining success on resolving disagreements on not just Baramati but other key Lok Sabha seats as well.
Earlier on Saturday, Vijay Shivtare, the senior Eknath Shindecamp leader and former twoterm MLA from Purandar (part of Baramati), who had vowed to make things tough for his ally Ajit Pawar by proposing to enter the Baramati fray as a third challenger, publicly announced he would not be contesting the seat.
Having publicly called for the overthrow of the Pawar clan in Baramati some days ago, Mr. Shivtare was finally pacified after a night meeting with CM Shinde, Mr. Ajit Pawar and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis who prevailed on him to obey ‘coalition dharma’.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mr. Shivtare pledged to campaign in full strength for Mr. Ajit Pawar’s candidate while assuring that over 1.5 lakh votes will now be given to the ‘clock’ symbol (of the
NCP) from the Purandar Assembly segment.
In another key move, the ruling NCP faction announced the candidature of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) chief Mahadev Jankar for the Parbhani Lok Sabha seat.
Mr. Jankar, a Dhangar (shepherd) community leader who wields considerable influence in Baramati, had given Ms. Sule a stiff fight during the 2014 Lok Sabha contest.
However, despite being a BJP ally, Mr. Jankar was disgruntled with the ruling Mahayuti dispensation of late.
There was much speculation on whether he would switch sides to the Sharad Pawar faction after he had offered to field him from the Madha Lok Sabha seat in Solapur.
Mr. Jankar decided to remain within the ruling coalition after being promised the Parbhani seat.
The quelling of the potential revolts of Mr. Shivtare and Mr. Jankar has made things easier for Ms. Sunetra Pawar in the coming fight.
In Kolhapur, the Mahayuti effected another reconciliation after bitter rivals, Minister Hasan Mushrif (of the Ajit Pawarled NCP) and the BJP’s Samarjitsinh Ghatge, finally came together and pledged that they would work to ensure the victory of the Shinde Sena’s candidate Sanjay Mandlik.
MVA rifts continue
Meanwhile, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi struggled to quell schism within its ranks.
The Congress is having a hard time in the Ramtek seat (which goes to polls in the first phase on April 19) after Congressman and exIAS officer Kishore Gajbhiye said on Saturday that he remained firm on contesting the seat as an Independent.
Rifts within the Uddhav Thackerayled Sena (UBT) continued to persist over the Sambhajinagar seat amid rumours that Thackeray confidant Ambadas Danve was planning to defect to the Mahayuti.
However, Mr. Danve categorically refuted the speculation, clarifying he was not upset at having been denied a ticket in lieu of Chandrakant Khaire, who has been named as the Sena (UBT)’s candidate.