A group of NCP (SP) workers on Tuesday requested party chief Sharad Pawar to field his grand nephew Yugendra from Baramati, the assembly constituency of rival NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
The assembly election in the Pawar family's bastion has become interesting after Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra lost to incumbent MP and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha contest.
Yugendra is the son of Ajit Pawar's younger brother Srinivas Pawar. Srinivas had sided with uncle Sharad Pawar during the Lok Sabha elections and criticised Ajit for fielding wife Sunetra against Sule, making it a contest within the family.
As Sharad Pawar arrived in Baramati on Tuesday, a video showed a group of party workers urging him to stand behind Yugendra.
One of them is heard saying that they wanted to "change" the "dada". Both Ajit and Yugendra are called "dada" (elder brother).
"It is our wish that dada (Yugendra Pawar) should be given candidature," a party worker said, while another worker asked Pawar senior to "give Yugendra strength" as they supported him.
"Looking at his work during the Lok Sabha elections, he should be given ticket from Baramati," said one worker, adding that Yugendra addressed the issue of water scarcity in some areas of Baramati.
Sharad Pawar, who was touring drought-hit areas of the constituency, also attended a 'janata darbar' organised by Yugendra Pawar at the local NCP (SP) office.
