Despite the alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, and the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, Vijay Shivtare, who belongs to the Shinde camp, has announced his candidacy for the Lok Sabha elections from Baramati.
Shivtare, speaking in Saswad, asserted that Baramati should not be treated as anyone's personal fiefdom. "People in Baramati do not wish to vote for a candidate chosen by Sharad Pawar or Ajit Pawar. During my six to seven months of travel across the constituency, people have clearly expressed their intent to opt for the NOTA option rather than vote for any Pawar," Shivtare stated.
He emphasised the need for an alternative to the Pawars, which led to his decision to contest the election. "The Baramati constituency does not belong to the Pawars. While approximately 7 lakh votes were with the Pawars, over 5.8 lakh were against them in the last election, a trend that has persisted for the last three to four terms," he added.
Shivtare mentioned his intention to discuss the matter with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. However, he affirmed his determination to contest the election even if denied a ticket.
In local political circles, Shivtare is known for his opposition to current Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar, who made significant efforts during the 2019 Assembly polls to defeat Shivtare.
Meanwhile, as per the seat-sharing arrangement, Baramati is poised to be contested by Ajit Pawar's NCP, with his wife Sunetra Pawar likely to be the candidate against Sule.
Who has the upper hand in Baramati?
Supriya Sule, representing the NCP under the leadership of Sharad Pawar, is contesting for the Baramati seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, aiming for her fourth consecutive term. She inherited the seat from her father, Sharad Pawar, who held it for several years.
The Baramati Lok Sabha constituency comprises six Assembly segments: Daund, Indapur, Bhor, Baramati, Purandar, and Khadakwasala. In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured two seats - Daund and Khadakwasala - with Rahul Kul and Bhimrao Tapkir emerging victorious. The Congress also claimed two seats - Bhor and Purandar - with Sangram Thopate and Sanjay Jagtap as the winners. The undivided NCP secured the remaining two seats, with Ajit Pawar winning from Baramati and Dattatray Bharne from Indapur.
