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In Baramati, Sharad Pawar camp focuses on stronghold as rival faction starts projecting Sunetra
The fight, if it happens, will take the divide in the Pawar clan down to the family stronghold from where Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and Supriya Pawar have won several assembly and Lok Sabha elections
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Saturday asked party workers to start campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls by reaching out to voters. This was a departure from previous instances for Pawar senior when he used to campaign in Baramati–either for himself or daughter Supriya Sule in subsequent years–during the last few days of campaign.
The change in strategy, as observers pointed out, was not just because of Sharad Pawar faction losing the party name and the symbol to the Ajit Pawar camp, but a possible entry of “strong” candidate in the fray during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The candidate is likely to be Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, whose name hasn’t been announced yet, but the party has hinted her candidature.
The fight, if it happens, will take the divide in the Pawar clan down to the family stronghold from where Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and Supriya Pawar have won several assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
While the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has started publicity campaign for Sunetra by vehicles bearing an audio-visual public address system to spread her social work, Ajit on his part is exhorting voters to elect an MP who will work better than the predecessor. There are four vehicles – officially named as development chariots – with LED screens seen on Baramati roads as part of campaign since last two days doing publicity of Sunetra. Two more vehicles are expected to join by Sunday, said party supporters.
On the social media too, Sunetra has been active since past two days, as also seen on ground in Baramati where she is attending programmes such as Haldi-Kunku events. She is at the same time making doorstep visits independently. Younger son Jay is also seen accompanying her.
“Through these vehicles and other outreach programmes, we are trying to spread the work of Sunetratai under the coordination of our party leader Kirandada Gujar,” said Amar Mahadik, NCP leader, who works closely with Ajit at the local level in Baramati.
To counter the challenge, Pawar senior while interacting with workers on Saturday asked them to not to be bothered by recent EC decision on the party name and the symbol. At the same time, he asked them to increase public outreach initiatives.
“There is no reason even if the symbol has changed for a party. However, we need to strengthen the public outreach and inform people about the new symbol,” he said.
