(L-R) Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar, and Supriya Sule. (Image: PTI)
While Baramati has always voted for the Pawar family, the BJP here may employ a strategy similar to the one it used to snatch Congress bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 2019
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded Kanchan Rahul Kul from Baramati against Supriya Sule from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). This was to ensure that a strong candidate was pitted against Sule and the seat, which had been a stronghold of Sharad Pawar, could end up in the BJP’s kitty. However, Sule defeated Kul by a margin of more than 1,30,000 votes.
The town of Baramati has always voted for the Pawar family. Sharad Pawar first became an MLA from here in 1967 on a Congress ticket.
Since 2009, Supriya Sule has been the MP, while Ajit Pawar has been the MLA from 1991 onwards. For Baramatikars, the senior Pawar is a demigod and they respect Ajit Pawar. Ever since 1960, no other political party has been able to make inroads into the Pawar bastion. In fact, the clout of other political parties like the Congress has only weakened, while the Shiv Sena has no presence in this region.
So, was the alliance of Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis formed with this in mind ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls?
According to BJP office bearers from Baramati, the party had started laying grounds in the city for the general elections two years ago. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Chandrakant Dada Patil, and various other prominent leaders have been visiting Baramati and interacting with party leaders, workers, and locals to gain a foothold.
“Just like it was ‘A for Amethi’ in 2019, it is ‘B for Baramati’ this year. Now that we have the support of Ajit Pawar, we are sure that the BJP will be able to fulfil its target of 45 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra,” said Satish Phalke, BJP Baramati city president.
“We have our stance very clear. We are supporting Ajit Dada. But in case Saheb (Sharad Pawar) needs our help to get votes for Supriya Tai, we will be there for him,” said a senior leader from the NCP in Baramati.
Would this mean that the BJP would use a similar strategy in Baramati to the one it used to snatch Congress bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 2019? Or would its alliance partners tussle over fielding candidates from this crucial Maharashtra seat?
