Ajit Pawar Signals Exit from Baramati

Mumbai:Couple of days after conceding that he made a huge mistake by fielding his wife, Sunetra Pawar, against his cousin Supriya Sule from Baramati in the Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Thursday sprang another surprise saying he is no longer interested in contesting from Baramati. He also hinted that his younger son Jay Pawar might replace him at the assembly seat.

“I am not interested in that (contesting elections) as I have contested seven or eight elections,” said Pawar.

“It is a democracy. If our party workers demand that Jay be fielded, then we will think about it. It will be the parliamentary board and the local party unit in Baramati that will decide the candidate for Baramati,” Pawar said in Pune when asked about the possibility of his younger son, Jay Pawar, contesting Vidhan Sabha elections.

Asked if he would celebrate Raksha Bandhan with Supriya Sule, Ajit said he was currently on a state tour and would meet all his sisters in some place. “If Supriya Sule happens to be where I am, I will meet her,” he added.

Baramati Vidhan Sabha seat is considered as a fiefdom for Ajit Pawar as he was re-elected from the assembly constituency for seven times.

Incidentally, Sharad Pawar’s party is planning to field Yugendra Pawar, the son of Ajit Pawar’s younger brother Sriniwas Pawar from Baramati.

Ajit Pawar’s elder son Parth Pawar had contested the Maval Lok Sabha seat in 2019, but lost by a heavy margin of over two lakh votes to a Shiv Sena candidate.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Deputy CM had said that he made a huge mistake by fielding his wife, Sunetra Pawar, against his cousin Supriya Sule from Baramati in the Lok Sabha elections. But Sule defeated Sunetra by 1.5 lakh votes.

However, state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said Ajit Pawar did not say that he would not contest the coming assembly elections.

“Ajit Pawar did not say that he would not contest elections….he could have some plans. We want to win as many seats as possible,” Tatkare said.

“It is not only my wish but that of all of Maharashtra for him to lead the state. For that, he will have to contest the election,” he said.