Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Sharad Pawar retains family bastion in Baramati

Mumbai: The high-profile contest in Baramati involving the Pawars - which has created a sort of political divide in the families of the hustling-bustling town of Pune district - saw Supriya Sule winning the Lok Sabha elections defeating Sunetra Pawar. 

The elections to this seat was touted as the mother of all elections in Maharashtra.

The split in the 25-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had confused many voters here. 

It is a direct fight between three-time sitting MP Supriya Sule (54), the daughter of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, and Sunetra Pawar (60), the wife of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who now commands the "real" NCP party.

The nearly five-decades-long supremacy of 'Saheb', as Sharad Pawar (83) is popularly known, has been challenged by Ajit Pawar (64), fondly called 'Dada' by his supporters. 

Thus, it's a fight between 'Tai' (sister) and 'Vahini' (sister-in-law) or 'Nanad' vs 'Bhabhi' - or for that matter between 'mulgi' (daughter) vs 'sun' (daughter-in-law). More than that, it is 'Saheb' vs 'Dada' - and everyone in Baramati is aware of that.

In June-July 2023, Ajit Pawar revolted against Sharad Pawar and joined the Maha Yuti (NDA) to become the Deputy Chief Minister alongside BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis in the government headed by Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde. This came as a jolt to Sharad Pawar and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A.).

The BJP had labelled it as a fight between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the opposition charge. 

The six Vidhan Sabha segments of the Baramati Lok Sabha seat are Daund, Indapur, Baramati, Purandar, Bhor, Khadakwasla. Among these six seats, NCP, Congress and BJP are in control of two each.

Lok Sabha

• The Baramati Lok Sabha seat has been under the control of the Pawar family since 1991.

• In 1991, Ajit Pawar won the seat, which was followed by a bye-election, where Sharad Pawar emerged victorious.

• Thereafter, Sharad Pawar secured victories in the seat in 1996, 1998,  1999, and 2004.

• After this, Supriya Sule won the seat in 2009, 2014, 2019, and now in 2024.

Vidhan Sabha

• The Baramati Vidhan Sabha seat has remained under the influence of the Pawar family since 1967.

• Sharad Pawar won the seat six times, in 1967, 1972, 1978, 1980, 1985, and 1990.

• Ajit Pawar, on the other hand, won the seat seven times - a bye-election in 1991, and then in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019.

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