With Maharashtra assembly elections just months away, it is likely going to be a battle between two third generation Pawar family members for the Baramati constituency.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar hinted that he is not keen on contesting the assembly elections from Baramati and would have his younger son Jay contest the election. “I have already won it seven to eight times from the constituency (Baramati), I am not too keen now,” said Ajit Pawar on Thursday.
In such a scenario, it would be an interesting contest as Yugendra Pawar from the Sharad Pawar camp is likely to take on Jay. Yugendra is the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar and son of Ajit’s brother Shrinivas Pawar.
He also said that it was for his party to decide whether his son would contest in his place from Baramati. “Party workers and the parliamentary board would decide on that. Whoever’s name is chosen, we (party leadership) will do that,” said Ajit. The move to field Jay is a change in strategy to deal with the challenge faced from the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP. The Sharad Pawar faction has projected Yugendra as the young face who is being projected as more approachable and who could develop Baramati more.
While Ajit may not contest from Baramati, he is looking to contest from other assembly consThe Sharad Pawar camp is already in action over the possibility of Jay contesting from Baramati. Rohit Pawar, an MLA fromKarjat-Jamkhed and grandnephew of Sharad Pawar, said that there was a possibility that Ajit was being pressurised by the BJP to contest against him after leaving Baramati.
“The same experiment that was done in the Baramati Lok Sabha (when Sunetra contested against Supriya Sule) may be replicated in the assembly polls. Same pressure is being put on him to contest in Karjat-jamkhed against me,” claimed Rohit Pawar.
