A file image of Yugendra Pawar (left) with Sharad Pawar.
Credit: X/@YSPawarSpeaks
Pune: Tension prevailed outside a polling booth in Baramati town in Maharashtra's Pune district after NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar's mother alleged intimidation and malpractices by workers of the rival NCP led by sitting MLA Ajit Pawar.
Yugendra Pawar, a grandnephew of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar is pitted against his uncle and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a high-profile contest in the stronghold of Pawars.
Yugendra's mother, Sharmila Pawar, alleged that one of their party cadres was intimidated by the workers of the rival faction.
"When I received the information, I reached the spot and saw that some voter slips bearing the symbol of their (NCP) party were being circulated and our people were being intimidated and given death threats," she alleged.
She said a complaint will be lodged with the Election Commission in this regard.
Meanwhile, Kiran Gujar, the election-in charge of Ajit Pawar-led party in Baramati, said Sharmila Pawar is not an election official and she had no right to go inside the polling station.
"As far as voter slips bearing our party's symbol are concerned, why does the election officer of the polling station not take objection. It shows that when the system is working fairly, you are trying to defame the system," he said.
He dared the opposition to prove that the slips were distributed by them.
Ajit Pawar, who has represented the Baramati seat since 1991, also refuted the claims, and said his party workers were adhering to the election code of conduct.
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.
Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.