Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar sparked speculation about his political future on Thursday, suggesting he might not contest the upcoming assembly elections from his stronghold, Baramati. Instead, Pawar hinted that his son, Jay Pawar, could replace him in the constituency.
Pawar, currently on a statewide ‘Jan Samman Yatra’ to promote state government schemes, said that the NCP’s parliamentary board would ultimately decide if Jay would contest in his place. He acknowledged the democratic process while expressing a lack of personal interest in another election, stating, “I am not much interested in it because I have been part of 7-8 elections. If people and party workers think in such a way, then the parliamentary board should think about it. If the parliamentary board and the local party workers want it then we are ready to do it.”
The Baramati Assembly seat holds significance as it has been a stronghold for Ajit Pawar, who was re-elected from the constituency in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019.
This potential shift in political strategy comes in the wake of Pawar’s previous admission about a mistake made in the Lok Sabha elections. On Tuesday, he expressed regret about fielding his wife, Sunetra Pawar, against his cousin, Supriya Sule, for the Baramati seat. He emphasized the importance of keeping family dynamics separate from politics, stating, “I love all my sisters. One shouldn’t allow politics to enter homes. I made a mistake in fielding Sunetra against my sister. This shouldn’t have happened. But the parliamentary board (of NCP) made a decision. Now I feel it was wrong.”
In the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, the NCP, part of the ruling Mahayuti Alliance, fielded Sunetra Pawar against the NCP(SP) president’s daughter, Supriya Sule, from Baramati. Sule ultimately defeated Sunetra by a significant margin, winning the seat for the fourth consecutive time with 51.85% of the vote. Sunetra was later elected to the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha elections saw the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) surprising the ruling Mahayuti Alliance by winning 30 out of 48 seats. However, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured only one seat, Raigad, while the Sharad Pawar faction won eight.
Ajit Pawar’s potential exit from the Baramati constituency, coupled with his previous admission about family politics, has raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about the future of the NCP within the state. His decision to potentially pass the torch to his son, Jay Pawar, marks a potential generational shift within the party, with implications for the upcoming state elections.
