Maharashtra polls: Sharad Pawar maintains silence on Baramati candidature
Supriya Sule, NCP (SP) MP and senior leader claimed that a delegation from Baramati had earlier met Pawar senior to put forth a few names
The day after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) cleared the ambiguity and announced Ajit Pawar as their candidate from Baramati, Sharad Pawar has maintained silence about his party’s candidate from his hometown.
Notably, no candidates from Baramati appeared for interviews held at the Nisarg Mangal Karyalaya in Pune on Wednesday, even as over 100 aspirants from various Pune district seats lined up to seek nomination for the upcoming assembly polls likely to be held in November. While Sharad Pawar presided over these interviews, his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar was conspicuously absent, despite his preparations for contesting the upcoming assembly polls.
Supriya Sule, NCP (SP) MP and senior leader claimed that a delegation from Baramati had earlier met Pawar senior to put forth a few names.
“A decision will be taken in eight to 10 days on Baramati assembly seat,” she said.
Baramati is among the 21 assembly seats in the Pune district of which eight are located in Pune city. The absence of Baramati candidates was particularly striking as the sitting MLA Ajit Pawar has already rebelled and will be contesting on NCP ticket. The NCP (SP) has been experiencing an influx of aspirants and members from opposition parties eager to align with the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar.
The NCP (SP) has received a total of 1,680 applications from aspirants across Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar and his colleagues have already interviewed 1,280 applicants, mainly from Marathwada and Western Maharashtra. The remaining 400 candidates will face interviews on Thursday.
However, only one candidate appeared for the Kasba Peth seat, underscoring the significance of Baramati in the party’s strategy.
Interviews were conducted by Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule at the venue, with candidates and their supporters flocking to Marketyard. According to a senior party leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, “It’s true that no one came from Baramati for the interview. Baramati being Pawar’s hometown, the candidate chosen by him will be the final decision.”
NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar emphasized the unique status of Baramati within the party.
“There was no discussion on Baramati today, which is a special constituency because the president of another party (Ajit Pawar) is contesting from here. From our side, the final decision will be taken by Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil, and Supriya Sule,” he stated.
Aspiring candidates from Baramati are expected to meet with Sharad Pawar in Mumbai over the coming days for further discussions.
Speculation is also mounting around Yugendra Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s nephew, who has shown interest in contesting from Baramati. His supporters have been vocal about securing him a ticket, though Yugendra did not attend Wednesday’s interviews. According to insiders, Sharad Pawar has encouraged Yugendra to begin his campaign preparations. Yugendra has been actively engaging with the constituency, having conducted a ‘Swabhiman Yatra’ in Baramati on September 10. If nominated, Yugendra would add another dimension to the ongoing intra-family rivalry within the Pawar clan, echoing the previous contest where Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra, lost a Lok Sabha election to Supriya Sule.
Yugendra has a background in finance and insurance, having graduated from Northeastern University in Boston after schooling in Pune and Mumbai. His potential candidacy is seen as a continuation of the Pawar legacy in Baramati, albeit with a new generational twist.
Interestingly, candidates appeared from constituencies currently not held by the NCP (SP), such as Shivajinagar, Kothrud, and Kasba in Pune city, reflecting widespread interest in contesting under the NCP (SP) banner. Official records indicated no candidates from Baramati and only one from Kasba Peth, where former city unit president Ravindra Malvadkar participated in the interview.
Sharad Pawar has taken a personal interest in these interviews, spending the past four days evaluating candidates from Vidarbha, Marathwada, North Maharashtra, and Western Maharashtra. His presence in Pune on Wednesday underscored the significance of the Pune district, as he continues to shape the NCP’s strategy for the upcoming polls.