Baramati Lok Sabha Seat: Supriya Sule Polled More Votes In 5 Out Of 6 Assembly Segments Against Sunetra Pawar

Overcoming the challenge posed by her estranged cousin Ajit Pawar, NCP (SP) candidate Supriya Sule retained her Baramati Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday with a margin of 1,58,333 votes.

Ajit Pawar, who rebelled against NCP founder Sharad Pawar last year and split the party, fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar against Sule.

The high-octane clash in Baramati, a keenly watched contest across the country, saw members of the Pawar family trading barbs. Both factions left no stone unturned as Sharad Pawar himself reached out to voters, while Ajit Pawar held numerous public meetings.

However, except for the Khadakwasla Assembly seat, Sule polled more votes in all other assembly segments, namely, Baramati, Indapur, Daund, Bhor, and Purandar.

In Daund, Sule secured 9,20,64 votes, surpassing Sunetra Pawar's 65,727 votes. In Indapur, Sule received 1,14,020 votes, while Pawar garnered 88,069. Moving to Baramati, where Ajit Pawar himself is the MLA, Sule obtained 1,43,941 votes compared to Sunetra's 96,560. Similarly, in Purandar, Sule's tally stood at 1,25,948 votes, outshining Pawar's 90,667 votes. Transitioning to Hadapsar, Bhor secured 1,34,245 votes, ahead of Pawar's 90,440 votes. However, in Khadakwasala, Pawar garnered 1,41,928 votes, while Sule fell slightly short with 1,21,182 votes.

Interestingly, NCP (SP) does not have a single MLA in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. Ajit Pawar's faction has two seats Baramati and Indapur with Dattatray Bharne as its MLA. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has two MLAs - Rahul Kul in Daund and Bhimrao Tapkir in Khadakwasala. The Congress, an ally of the NCP (SP), has the remaining two MLAs - Sangram Thopate in Bhor and Sanjay Jagtap in Purandar.

Speaking to reporters, Sule thanked the people of her constituency. "I am thankful to the people of Baramati. After the victory, our collective responsibilities have increased. Let bygones be bygones. Whatever happened during the elections did not befit Maharashtra's politics and it should be avoided in the upcoming state elections, and for that, we will take utmost precaution," she said.

It was everyone's responsibility to uphold the 'aan, baan, shaan' (honour, pride, and prestige) and culture of Maharashtra during elections, Sule said, adding that "we upheld that tradition in these elections and will continue to uphold it in the upcoming elections." The workers who stood by her father in this critical phase were the party's real strength, she said.