Lok Sabha elections 2024: Confident about victory of our candidate in Baramati, says Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar. File Pic

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday exuded confidence and said that their candidate from the Baramati parliamentary constituency that went to polls on May 7, will win the Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported news agency ANI.

Baramati witnessed a star-studded fight in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar is the candidate of the BJP-led Maha Yuti alliance while his sister Supriya Sule is the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate.

The constituency is considered to be the pocket borough of the Pawar family with Sharad Pawar having represented it multiple times after first being elected to the seat in 1984. However, with a fight within the Pawar family, this seat has become a symbol of the larger fight in Maharashtra.

While talking to ANI in Shirur taluka of Pune district during a Lok Sabha elections 2024 campaign for NCP candidate Shivajirao Adhavrao Patil, Pawar said, "Our candidate from the Baramati parliamentary constituency will win the election."

When asked about his expectations from the Baramati elections Ajit Pawar told ANI, "We have done our job during the election campaign in Baramati. I was telling the citizens and voters not to fall into the emotional appeals from the opposite side. The voters and citizens must consider who will work for them even after the elections and who can bring funds from the central government for various development projects. They must consider who can resolve the issues related to the water crisis in the region and therefore I am sure that voters have considered our appeal and accordingly our candidate will win the seat however one has to wait till June 4 for the final results."

Pawar also expressed his disappointment over the low voting percentage in Maharashtra and said that from the national perspective, the voting percentage in states like Odisha and West Bengal has risen compared to the last time but comparatively the voting percentage in Maharashtra stands low, reported ANI.

"If we talk specifically about Baramati the voting percentage is at around 59 per cent which is some point more than the last time election, however, I had expected that this should have been anywhere between 65 to 70 per cent. I am not sure what made this percentage go low," he said.

"Was it the heat factor or any other reason, I don't know right now but I want to appeal to the citizens that in the upcoming phase which is the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on May 13, people should come out in large numbers to vote and exercise their constitutional right," the Deputy CM told ANI.

Notably, the country on May 7 witnessed the third phase of polling and the voter turnout was recorded at approximately 60.97 per cent across the 11 States/Union Territories, according to the data issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Assam recorded the highest voter turnout of 75.01 per cent and the lowest was recorded in Maharashtra, where it was 53.95 per cent.

Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament.

(With inputs from ANI)