nAfter the recent Lok Sabha polls that saw sitting NCP (AP) MP Supriya Sule trounce her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, the politically influential Baramati Assembly Constituency in western Maharashtra readies itself for another battle royale within the Pawar family. This time around, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar will take on his nephew Yugendra Shriniwas Pawar of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction.
Yogendra Pawar’s name figured in the first list of 45 NCP (SP) candidates released by the Sharad Pawar-led party for the State Assembly polls on Thursday.
Yugendra Pawar is the son of Ajit Pawar's younger brother Sriniwas Pawar.
The round-one in the Pawar Vs Pawar battle had gone to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, when Supriya ---a sitting MP and daughter of NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar -- defeated her sister-in-law Sunetra by a margin of 1.58 lakh votes in the polls in the Baramati Lok Sabha polls.
Supriya polled 7,32,312 votes, while Sunetra secured 5,73,979 votes. After Sunetra’s defeat, the NCP (AP) sent her to Rajya Sabha in the RS by-poll held in June this year.
Within six months after the Lok Sabha polls, the people of Baramati will have to choose between uncle Ajit Pawar --who is a six-time Deputy chief minister and the Sharad Pawar loyalist rookie nephew Yogendra Pawar, who has been fielded by the NCP (SP) as its candidate.
The candidates’ list released by the NCP (SP) is a mix of senior party leaders, youth and a few of who defected to the Sharad Pawar-led party in the run-up to the State Assembly polls.
The prominent NCP (SP) candidates are: NCP (SP) state President Jayant R. Patil (Islampur), General Secretary Jitendra Awhad (Mumbra-Kalwa), Anil Deshmukh (Katol), Rajesh Tope (Ambad-Ghansawangi), Shamrao P. alias Balasaheb Patil (Karad North), Prajakt Tanpure (Rahuri) and ex-BJP leader Harshavarrdhan Patil (Indapur).
Shashikant Shinde (Koregaon) Jaiprakash Dandegaonkar (Basmath), Gulabrao Devkar (Jalgaon Rural), Ashok Pawar (Shirur), Rajendra Shingne (Sindkhed-Raja), Rani N. Lanke (Parner), the wife of incumbent MLA Nilesh D. Lanke who was elected to LS in 2024, are other notable candidates.
The youth brigade that Sharad Pawar has nominated comrpises Rohit R. Pawar (Karjat-Jamkhed), debutante Rohit R. Patil, the son of sitting MLA Suman R. Patil – the widow of former Deputy CM R. R. Patil, Sandeep Naik (Belapur), Mahebub Shaikh (Ashthi), and PrashantYadav (Chiplun).
Veteran part man Prashant Jagtap (Hadapsar), a royal blood Samarjit Ghatge (Kagal), Pradeep Naik (Kinvat), Rakhi Jadhav (Ghatkopar East), Subhash Pawar (Murbad), and Mahesh Kothe (Solapur City North) are some other candidates nominated by the NCP (SP)
