Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP head Ajit Pawar files his nomination from Baramati seat for Assembly polls, in Pune, Monday.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Baramati, the hustling-bustling model town of Pune district has braced itself for yet another battle of Pawars after the Lok Sabha elections.
With a day remaining for close of nominations, on Monday, five-time Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is a seven-time MLA filed his nomination papers against his debutant-nephew Yugendra Pawar, the son of his brother Shriniwas Pawar.
Yugendra Pawar has been fielded by Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) against his uncle and NCP president Ajit Pawar.
In the Lok Sabha polls, Ajit Pawar had pitted his wife Sunetra Pawar against his mentor and uncle Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, but the latter won the polls. Sunetra Pawar was later sent to the Rajya Sabha.
“I made a mistake by fielding my wife Sunetra Pawar against my sister Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha polls…I made a mistake…they should not have repeated the mistake…its now up to the public,” an emotional Ajit Pawar said.
"Everyone has the right to contest. Whenever any candidate is fielded against me I take them as a strong candidate and campaign accordingly,” he added.
On the other hand, Yugendra Pawar said: "This was unfortunate but all of us in the family decided that we need to stay with Sharad Pawar Sahab because he is the founder of the NCP, he is the patriarch of the family and it is because of him that not only Baramati but everybody around also prospered.”
“I feel it is quite sad, quite unfortunate that this had to come in the family...it happened in the Lok Sabha polls and now in Vidhan Sabha elections... we were always together and even the incumbent MLA was always under Sharad Pawar Sahab,” he added.
“Its truly another emotional moment for us,” said NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule, the four-time Baramati MP, controlling her emotions. "It is never a personal fight for me, even when I contested the Lok Sabha elections I said the same thing. It is never a personal fight for me. We work for a larger cause,” she added.
When Yugendra Pawar filed his nomination papers, his grandfather Sharad Pawar accompanied him, while Ajit Pawar was accompanied by his two sons - Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar.
While Yugendra Pawar kept the filing of papers simple, Ajit Pawar staged a massive show of strength. Before Ajit Pawar left home for the grand procession, his wife applied tilak and wished him best.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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