Maharashtra Assembly election: Yugendra to make electoral debut from Baramati against uncle Ajit Pawar?

Pic/X

Politics is heating up once again in Baramati ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election, amid speculation about a potential contest between Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Ajit Pawar and his nephew Yugendra, a member of the third generation of the Pawar clan, news agency PTI reported.

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) is yet to announce its list of candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly election, but speculation about probable nominees is rife across various constituencies, including Baramati.

Yugendra, 32, is the grandnephew of veteran leader Sharad Pawar and the son of the Deputy CM's brother, Shrinivas. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston and has maintained a close relationship with the family patriarch, PTI reported.

Baramati, the traditional stronghold of the Pawar family, recently witnessed a captivating contest in the Lok Sabha elections between the Deputy CM's wife Sunetra and his cousin Supriya Sule, the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) and the daughter of Sharad Pawar. The fierce competition, exacerbated by the family feud triggered by Ajit Pawar's rebellion in July 2023, resulted in Sunetra's defeat, PTI stated.

The NCP, headed by Ajit Pawar, is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, but the party has not yet declared its nominees. Under the tutelage of Sharad Pawar, Yugendra has been laying the political groundwork for himself, which was reflected during the launch of the Swabhiman Yatra in Baramati in September. He serves as the treasurer of Vidya Pratishtan, an educational institute founded by Sharad Pawar.

During the Lok Sabha elections, Yugendra campaigned for Sule, while his father publicly criticised Ajit for leaving Sharad Pawar's side and joining the Mahayuti government with other NCP leaders. Political circles are abuzz with rumours about whether the Deputy CM will contest from the Baramati again in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election.

'Self-respecting people of Baramati didn't appreciate what happened to Sharad Pawar saheb'

Senior NCP leader Praful Patel recently dismissed these reports, affirming the Deputy CM's candidacy for the traditional seat he has represented multiple times.

When asked if he is prepared to replace his uncle in Baramati, Yugendra avoided a direct answer. "I am not interested in replacing anyone, and I don't want to oppose anyone," he stated, although he hinted that he would not shy away from an electoral contest.

Yugendra expressed that the people of Baramati, including himself, are loyal to Sharad Pawar and that he could not imagine deserting his grandfather.

"Pawar saheb and the people will decide whether I should go to the state assembly," he told a Marathi news portal. He explained that the Swabhiman Yatra was organised to engage with the people of Baramati and remind them of Sharad Pawar's ideology. "Self-respecting people of Baramati didn't appreciate what happened to Pawar saheb," he added.

However, Yugendra noted that he has not yet discussed his candidacy with Sharad Pawar. "We have not spoken about the candidature since Sharad Pawar has not visited Baramati. I will address this issue when he visits," he said.

Yugendra mentioned that NCP (SP) workers are reaching out to the public, replicating the campaigning strategy adopted during the Lok Sabha elections when they supported Sule. He believes the sentiment from those elections remains strong in Baramati. "On the contrary, the feeling of fear has vanished, and people are more forthcoming," Yugendra asserted in a veiled critique of his uncle and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

In the Lok Sabha elections, Sule led in five out of six assembly segments, including Baramati, within the Baramati parliamentary constituency. She won by over 150,000 votes, polling 732,312 votes - 45,000 more than in the 2019 elections.

(With PTI inputs)