Mumbai: In the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, 11 out of the state's 48 constituencies will go for polls, playing a vital role in determining the future of both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The Mahayuti alliance, comprises Eknath Shinde's Shinde Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On the other hand, the MVA, led by Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP and the Congress, stands as the opposition force.
The constituencies to go for voting in the third phase of elections include Raigad, Baramati, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri–Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangle. Among the contenders in this phase, notable figures include Sunetra Pawar and Supriya Sule from Baramati, Sunil Tatkare from Raigad, Narayan Rane and Vinayak Raut from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg and Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde from Solapur.
Intense Electoral Showdown In Pawar Bastion
Baramati, known as the bastion of the Pawar family, is poised to witness an intense electoral showdown between two closely related contenders. Supriya Sule, a three-time MP, faces her cousin Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra, in a highly contested battle for this pivotal seat. As the NCP has faced a split, both factions are striving to establish dominance over their party's traditional bastion.
Ajit Pawar has been actively supporting his wife, Sunetra, on the campaign trail, while Sharad Pawar, the founding member of the NCP and Supriya Sule's father, has thrown his weight behind his daughter's bid for victory. Political analysts suggest the critical nature of this contest for the survival of both factions within the NCP, as the outcome will reflect the public's preference between the competing factions of the party.
Results Of Previous Lok Sabha Elections
Supriya Sule's electoral track record in Baramati is impressive, having secured successive victories in 2009, 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. In 2019, Supriya Sule defeated Kanchan Rahul Kul by a huge margin of 1,55,774 votes, marking her victory for the third time successfully. Previously, in 2014, Sule secured a decent victory, defeating Mahadev Jagannath Jankar who had contested from Rashtriya Samaj Paksha by a margin of 69,719 votes. In 2009, Sule claimed her first victory in Baramati by defeating BJP's Kanta Nalawade by a whopping 3,36,831 votes.
The preceding phases of the Lok Sabha elections witnessed varying voter turnouts. In the first phase held on April 19, five constituencies recorded an estimated turnout of 55.35%, while the second phase on April 26 saw a voter participation rate of 59.63% across eight constituencies.
The results for the Baramati Lok Sabha Seat will be announced on June 4, 2024.
