Shivtare firm on entering Baramati LS contest despite Ajit Pawar’s party expressing displeasure

Shivtare’s candidature can make the contest triangular with two other likely candidates — Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s Sunetra Pawar and NCP (SCP) member Supriya Sule

Even as Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has expressed its displeasure, Shiv Sena leader from Purandar and chief minister Eknath Shinde’s close aid Vijay Shivtare has decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Baramati as an independent candidate.

Shivtare on Wednesday called a meeting with his supporters at Saswad where most of them urged him to contest the Lok Sabha elections. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Shivtare’s candidature can make the contest triangular with two other likely candidates — Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s Sunetra Pawar and NCP (SCP) member Supriya Sule.

Shivtare on Wednesday called a meeting with his supporters at Saswad where most of them urged him to contest the Lok Sabha elections. In the seat-sharing arrangement, Baramati is set to go with the NCP with Ajit’s wife Sunetra likely to face sitting Member of Parliament and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya.

Later, while speaking to media, Shivtare said, “I will contest the elections at any cost from Baramati even as an independent candidate. There are many voters who do not want to vote for the single family (Pawars). I have previously too opposed Ajit Pawar and others from the family, and will continue to do so.”

Meanwhile, Shinde spoke with Shivtare on phone and has asked him to come to Mumbai to discuss the issue.

Under the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, there are six assembly segments with Saswad being one and Shivtare served as its MLA twice between 2009 and 2019.

With Shivtare throwing his hat in the Lok Sabha race, rival NCP camps are assessing whose vote bank will be dented most.

While Ajit has preferred not to react to Shivtare’s statements, his party had expressed displeasure. “If the Sena does not convince Shivtare on not fighting from Baramati, there can be a different result in Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. There is no need for anyone to consider Kalyan is an easy contest,” NCP spokesperson Anand Paranjape had said on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) president Sharad Pawar said, “Shivtare is a member of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and not part of Maha Vikas Aghadi. In the last few elections, Shivtare had garnered a sizeable number of votes mostly from those not subscribing to our ideology. So, his candidature will not affect our chances in this polls.”

During the 2019 polls, Shivtare was defeated by Congress MLA Sanjay Jagtap.