Former Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Vijay Shivtare, who had previously announced his intention to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election independently from the Baramati seat, held a late-night meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Shivtare discussed various issues concerning Purandar taluka and the challenges faced by the local populace. The discussions were described as constructive, with Shinde addressing all the concerns raised by Shivtare. Shivtare is expected to outline his future plans during an upcoming press conference, as per the statement.
The meeting followed a stern warning issued by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP to the ruling Mahayuti alliance, threatening to withdraw unless the Shiv Sena took action against Shivtare for his repeated verbal attacks against Pawar. NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil condemned Shivtare's language towards the Deputy CM, labelling it as extremely distasteful.
Shivtare, a two-term MLA, had expressed his desire to challenge the Pawar family's dominance in Baramati by contesting from the seat. He had declared his candidacy as an independent, aiming to represent the voices of the common voters in the constituency.
However, following the meeting, indications suggest that Shivtare may reconsider his candidacy and support the Mahayuti candidate, likely to be Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra.
The polling in Baramati is scheduled for May 7 during the third phase of elections.
