Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s stronghold Baramati Lok Sabha constituency between August 16 and 18.
During the visit, she will interact with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and attend organisational meetings.
Sitharaman will visit Baramati town and other assembly segments under the Lok Sabha constituency, as part of BJP’s ‘Pravas’ campaign across the country. Senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule is coordinating the programme in Maharashtra.
Along with Sitharaman, another Union minister of state for tribal affairs Renuka Singh will be visiting Shirur Lok Sabha constituency during the same period. Shirur is currently being represented by NCP MP Amol Kolhe in Lok Sabha.
The saffron party has launched the campaign to strengthen its organisation in 144 Lok Sabha constituencies in 2024 elections. Of the 144 constituencies, the party has identified 16 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra with two of them - Baramati and Shirur - from Pune district.
BJP has designated a Union minister or a central leader as a ‘Pravas minister’ and in-charge of a cluster comprising four-five Lok Sabha seats.
“During her tour to Baramati, Sitharaman will take a review of the party’s current status. Her visit is part of an organised campaign to strengthen the party’s base in seats we lost with a narrow margin in 2019,” said Ganesh Bhegade, BJP Pune district president.
{{/usCountry}}“During her tour to Baramati, Sitharaman will take a review of the party’s current status. Her visit is part of an organised campaign to strengthen the party’s base in seats we lost with a narrow margin in 2019,” said Ganesh Bhegade, BJP Pune district president.
{{/usCountry}}Baramati was for many years represented by Pawar in Lok Sabha. Since 2009, his daughter Supriya Sule is representing the seat. In 2019, Sule won the polls against BJP’s Kanchan Kool with a margin of 1.55 lakh votes.