With Ajit posing challenge in Baramati, Sharad Pawar holds day-long meeting with workers

Pune: The Nationalist Congress Party (SGP) president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday conducted a day-long meeting with key party workers and representatives of cooperative and other institutions from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency at Nisarg Hall in Gultekdi.

The meeting, according to the party sources, was to discuss preparedness for the polls as well as to assess loyalty of workers and representatives of various institutions ahead of the Lok Sabha elections where Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule is all set to face challenge from Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra.

For Sharad Pawar, this is a departure from previous elections when he used to campaign in Baramati (either for himself or later for Supriya) in the last two-three days of polls.

The veteran leader’s meeting came against the backdrop of series of other meetings held by Ajit in various villages under the Baramati Lok Sabha seat during the past few days.

Pawar senior said, “Today we conducted the meeting with around 150-200 party workers from each assembly constituency under the Baramati LS seat as well as others representing various institutions. All workers exhibited confidence about the upcoming election.”

As Pawar spent a day for Baramati constituency, it also indicated that the senior leader is personally looking at campaigning this time to ensure Sule’s victory.

On the political atmosphere in Baramati, Pawar said, “After talking to workers today, the situation looks positive. This was a meeting of only party members. We are yet to talk to workers of our allies. However, since we have decided to fight elections jointly, there has been enthusiasm among the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) workers too and are working hard on ground.”

On the opposition’s strategy to keep him engaged in Baramati by posing a challenge in the form of Sunetra, the 83-year-old said that he has never been confined in his constituency in the past and present as well.

“I have contested 14 Lok Sabha elections and among them seven were of Lok Sabha polls. If I wasn’t confined here in previous 14 elections, what different this election will make?” Pawar said.

About party workers claiming of receiving threats from the opposition in Baramati, Pawar said, “Many workers have raised this issue in the meeting that they are getting phone calls of being intimidated and pressurised. Some workers from semi-government institutions like cooperatives and educational institutions are threatened that they will lose jobs. I have asked them to give details. I must assure all that such intimidation to pressurise will not work and we will be behind these workers.”

Pawar has indicated in the past that the Ajit camp is pressurising workers to campaign for Sunetra instead of Supriya. Ajit has denied these allegations while campaigning for Sunetra, who has also been addressing meetings and asking locals to stand by her even as her name has not been announced officially by the party.