Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar chief Sharad Pawar was present along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar at the inauguration of the 'Namo Rojgar Melava 2024'
Credit: X/@mieknathshinde
Baramati: As battlelines got drawn in Baramati in Pune district in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar - the two possible contestants, shared the dais on Saturday in this high-profile constituency in Maharashtra.
The occasion was the inauguration of the 'Namo Rojgar Melava 2024’ by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in presence of two Deputy Chief Ministers - Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
The function was held at Vidya Pratishthan, the institution founded by Sharad Pawar, the four-time Maharashtra Chief Minister and three-time union minister.
Things in Baramati have changed post the rebellion by Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar, who walked to the BJP-led NDA camp and later successfully claimed the NCP party and iconic clock symbol of the political outfit founded by the Maratha strongman a quarter of a century 25 years ago.
In fact, the 83-year-old Sharad Pawar has dominated the Baramati politics for over half a century.
In most likelihood, in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the contest would be between Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, a three-time Baramati MP and one-term Rajya Sabha MP.
Over the past fortnight, both Sunetra Pawar and Supriya Sule held a series of meetings in the Pawar-family stronghold.
The Baramati job fair seemed to be the launch of Sunetra Pawar’s campaign.
However, initially the name of Sharad Pawar’s name was missing from the invite list - even though he function was being held in this institution, however, the veteran politician seized the opportunity and invited the trio for Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, for a meal at his residence Govind Baug.
Shinde and Fadnavis, however, declined the invite sharing prior engagements.