Ajit Pawar.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: After being in two minds over the past couple of months, Ajit Pawar has finally decided to contest the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections from Baramati - which comes as a morale-booster to the NCP.
The 65-year-old is a one-time Baramati MP and seven-time MLA from the Baramati and has served as Deputy Chief Minister five times.
Ajit Pawar may have to face Yugendra Pawar, who is the son of his younger brother Sriniwas Pawar.
Yugendra who would be fielded by Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
In June-July 2023, Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle and mentor Sharad Pawar and joined the ruling BJP-led Maha Yuti.
Booming with confidence during the Lok Sabha polls, Ajit Pawar fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar from the Baramati. However, she lost to Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, who won the seat for the fourth time.
During the Jan Samman Yatra, Ajit Pawar dropped hints to field his son Jay Pawar and also said that the decision to field Sunetra Pawar was wrong on his part.
After that, NCP Working President Praful Patel had clarified that Ajit Pawar would contest the polls.
On Wednesday, when the NCP announced the first list of 38 candidates, his name was at the top.
Apart from renominating 26 sitting MLAs, including ministers who sided with Ajit Pawar when he switched over, the NCP has also fielded sitting legislators Sulbha Khodke (Amravati) and Hiraman Khoskar (Igatpuri) who switched over from the Congress recently.
Veteran leader and state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Chhagan Bhujbal would contest from Yeola while former Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil would contest the Ambegaon seat.
Bharat Gavit, son of Congress leader late Manikrao Gavit - who was a nine-time MP from Nandurbar, has been fielded from Navapur.
Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal has been fielded from Dindori and state cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Yeola.
Former minister Rajkumar Badole, who was earlier with the BJP, has been given the ticket from Arjuni-Morgaon.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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