Maharashtra Elections 2024: NCP leader Ajit Pawar to file nomination for the Baramati assembly seat today

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar will file his nomination from Maharashtra's Baramati assembly seat today, ANI reported.

As per ANI, his nephew and Sharad Pawar's grandson, Yugendra Pawar, is also contesting from the same constituency as the NCP-SP candidate.

Baramati will see another Pawar vs Pawar fray after Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar, defeated Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, during the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.

The NCP went through a split in 2023 after Ajit Pawar joined the Shive Sena-BJP government.

When asked about contesting the Maharashtra Elections 2024 against his uncle, who has won this seat seven times, Yugendra Pawar said to ANI that he feels it is quite sad and unfortunate.

"I feel it is quite sad, quite unfortunate that this had to come in the family. Not in Vidhan Sabha but it started in Lok Sabha and we were always together and even the incumbent MLA was always under the guidance of the founder of the party and family patriarch Sharad Pawar Sahab. What happened all of India has seen. The party split and the symbol was given to them by the election commission," he told ANI.

He added, "This was unfortunate but all of us in the family decided that we need to stay with Pawar Sahab because he is the founder of the NCP, he is the patriarch of the family and it is because of him that not only Baramati but everybody around also prospered."

According to ANI, Yugendra Pawar claims that the competition against his own uncle won't be tough but also won't be easy either.

He said, "I don't think it will be tough but I don't even think that it will be easy either. But initially, Pawar Sahab was supporting Ajit Pawar, we fondly call him Dada but the people of Baramati in large numbers are behind Pawar Sahab and that is what they showed in Lok Sabha. They will show this in the upcoming assembly as well as other elections also."

Elections for the 288 assembly seats of Maharashtra will be held on November 20, while the vote counting will take place on November 23.

In 2019 Maharashtra assembly polls, the BJP secured 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56 and the Congress won 44 seats. In 2014, the BJP won 122 seats, Shiv Sena secured 63 and the Congress secured 42 seats.

(With inputs from ANI)