Maharashtra polls: Ajit Pawar campaigns in state by day, Baramati by night  

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s days have been packed with back-to-back rallies and meetings across Maharashtra, reflecting his party’s all-out campaign ahead of the assembly polls. However, no matter where his day starts, it often ends in Baramati, where he faces a fierce challenge from an unexpected rival—his nephew Yugendra Pawar. 

On Wednesday, Ajit Pawar addressed meetings in Baramati in the morning, campaigned in Beed for Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Yogesh Kshirsagar in the afternoon, and later joined a rally for colleague Vijaysinh Pandit in Georai. By night, he was back in Baramati, reviewing campaign strategies with his team. 

This pattern has been his routine for the past month. Despite his state-wide responsibilities, Ajit Pawar dedicates significant time to his home turf, where Sharad Pawar and the rest of the family are rallying behind Yugendra, a 32-year-old political debutant representing the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP). 

Both campaigns are family-centric, with neither the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) nor the Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders stepping into Baramati to support their allies. Ajit Pawar, when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from his campaign, had remarked, “It’s a contest within the family; there’s no need for others to intervene.” 

Ajit Pawar’s campaign revolves around his track record. “I have worked hard for Baramati, and I can still work for 10 more years,” he tells voters, emphasizing his contributions to the constituency. His wife, a Rajya Sabha, MP Sunetra Pawar, has been actively conducting door-to-door campaigns, supported by their son Jay and Ajit’s sisters Vijaya Patil and Rajni Indulkar. 

Upon arriving in Baramati on most nights, Ajit Pawar keenly reviews the campaign and instructs workers. During the early morning too, he meets voters from different villages under Baramati and then leaves for other parts of the state. With a fierce battle expected due to the presence of his nephew in the fray, Ajit Pawar has been spending most of his time in Baramati. 

Kirandada Gujar, Ajit’s election in-charge, noted, “Ajit Pawar starts his day early, meeting voters in Baramati before heading to other parts of the state and returning late at night.” 

The stakes are high for Ajit Pawar, who won the 2019 assembly elections by a record margin of 1.67 lakh votes. However, his wife Sunetra lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Baramati, where Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule secured a lead of over 43,000 votes in the assembly segment. 

Meanwhile, Yugendra Pawar is focusing on smaller, grassroots-level meetings, highlighting issues like law and order.  

“After getting elected, I would like to improve the law-and-order situation here,” Yugendra said during a recent meeting. 

Yugendra’s campaign has seen active support from Sharad Pawar’s wife, Pratibha Pawar, who rarely participates in political activities. Her presence, along with Supriya Sule and granddaughter Revati, marks a departure from her usual low profile. 

Ajit Pawar expressed surprise at his aunt’s involvement. “She is like my mother, and I’m surprised that she is campaigning against me. I will ask her why,” he said earlier this week. 

As Baramati gears up for polling on November 20, the high-profile family feud is drawing significant attention. The constituency, long dominated by Ajit Pawar, now witnesses a battle between the two NCP factions. 

Yugendra, Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew and Ajit’s younger brother Shrinivas’s son is making his political debut in a contest that underscores the deep divisions within one of Maharashtra’s most prominent political families.