Ajit Pawar (left) is facing his nephew Yugendra Pawar in Baramati.
Credit: PTI/X@yugendraspeaks
Pune: Whether it is husband vs wife, father vs daughter, uncle vs nephew, brother vs brother -- several contests within families are being witnessed in the high-octave 2024 Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra, which involves a direct clash between two mega-alliances.
The main focus though is in the uncle vs nephew contest in Baramati in Pune district, where NCP President and five-time Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a seven-time MLA is facing Yugendra Pawar, the son of his brother Shriniwas Pawar, who has been fielded by Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
In the Lok Sabha polls, Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar was defeated by Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, who won the Baramati seat for the fourth time.
However, there are several such contests across the five geographical regions of Maharashtra.
The Gond tribal royal family of Aheri in the Gadchiroli district witnessed a father vs daughter contest. It is witnessing a battle between four-time sitting MLA and minister Dharmarao Baba Atram and his daughter Bhagyashree Atram-Halgekar, the candidate of NCP (SP). Incidentally, Dharmarao Baba’s nephew Ambrishrao Atram, a former BJP minister, is contesting as an Independent.
Saoner is another seat in Nagpur where a family contest is happening. Five-time MLA Sunil Kedar’s wife Anuja Kedar has been fielded by the Congress. She is the granddaughter of former Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Sheshrao Wankhede, who is a former BCCI President. It is after him that the Wankhede Stadium has been named.
Against her is former Maharashtra Congress President Ranjeet Deshmukh’s son Ashish Deshmukh who is the BJP candidate, however, his brother Amol Deshmukh has filed papers as an Independent. It may be mentioned that the cousin of the Deshmukh brothers, Salil Deshmukh, who is son of former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh is contesting the Katol seat.
In the Kannad constituency in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (earlier Aurangabad), independent candidate and former MLA Harshwardhan Jadhav is pitted against his estranged wife and Shiv Sena candidate Sanjana Jadhav, the daughter of BJP leader and former union minister Raosaheb Danve. Sanjana Jadhav's brother Santosh Danve is contesting from Bhokardan in Jalna from the BJP.
In the Georai constituency of Beed, Badamrao Pandit of Shiv Sena (UBT) faces his nephew Vijaysinh Pandit, who has been fielded by the NCP.
A big electoral fight is happening in Beed where former minister Jaydatta Kshirsagar's nephew Sandeep Kshirsagar of NCP (SP) is pitted against Yogesh Kshirsagar of NCP.