Lok Sabha Elections: Clash Of NCP Clans In Baramati As Supriya Sule And Sunetra Pawar To Fight In High-Stake Battle

Baramati seat has been held by Supriya Sule for three consecutive terms since 2009, but this time, Ajit Pawar has fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar from the seat.

The political landscape in Baramati is geared up for a heightened competition between the split NCP factions as Supriya Sule from the Sharad Pawar-led camp will contest against Sunetra Pawar from the Ajit Pawar's faction.

The key contest in the Maharashtra seat will decide on the Pawar legacy and address a crucial question: "Sharad Pawar or Ajit Pawar." The Baramati Lok Sabha seat will go for a high-stake battle in the third phase of polling on May 7. 

The seat has been held by Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, who is also the sitting MP, for three consecutive terms since 2009, but this time, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife and Supriya Sule's sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar has also filed her nomination for the seat.

Why is Baramati Seat Crucial For Pawars?

Baramati constituency in Maharashtra has been a traditional stronghold of Pawars like the Rae Bareli or Amethi seat of the Congress. The Lok Sabha seat has been represented by Sharad Pawar, six times in a row in 1984, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2004. 

Thereafter, Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule has been representing the seat since 2009. She won the seat even during the BJP's wave in 2014. Sule has represented the seat for three consecutive terms since 2009 and she was the Rajya Sabha MP before that from 2006 to 2009. 

However, Ajit Pawar, who rebelled against his uncle Sharad Pawar last year, is trying to wrest the stronghold from the elder Pawar and has found some support in the area. Ajit Pawar rebelled against uncle Sharad Pawar and walked away with a majority of NCP MLAs in July last year and supported the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government led by Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra.

The junior Pawar has not only taken hold of a significant number of party MLAs and cadres but also took NCP's name and symbol from his uncle. For Ajit, winning Baramati will be very crucial as it will offer him a complete grip over the party and portray himself as the party's 'real' successor.

But, Sharad Pawar is also leaving no stone unturned to ensure daughter Supriya’s victory for the fourth time. Apart from rallies, campaigns and party meetings, the NCP veteran is also meeting his old rivals in state and local politics, a report in Hindustan Times said.

Amid the tussle, Sharad Pawar last month invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar on lunch at his Baramati residence during their visit to his the city. 

While party seniors continue to support the elder Pawar, referred to as 'Saheb', the younger cadre is behind Ajit 'Dada'. Nilesh Lanke, who defected from the Ajit Pawar faction, will contest from the Ahmednagar constituency.  

When Is Baramati Going To Polls?

Baramati will go to polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 7. In the NCP bastion, Sule is pitted against her sister-in-law and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra, the candidate of the NCP. The NCP is part of the Mahayuti alliance comprising the Shiv Sena and BJP.  

The date of results for the Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency Election is June 4 along with other Lok Sabha seats in the country.

All About Baramati Seat

The Baramati constituency in Maharashtra is one of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state going to polls this election. The voter turnout in the 2019 Parliament election stood at 61.82 percent. 

In the 2019 elections, NCP candidate Supriya Sule won from the Baramati garnering 6.86 lakh votes defeating BJP's Kanchan Rahul Kool who got 5.3 lakh votes.