The protean nature of Maharashtra’s politics is finding its strongest echo in the high-stakes Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, which is witnessing an intense battle between rival Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) clans led by Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar who are vying for the attentions of their erstwhile political foes.
The 83-year-old Sharad Pawar, whose party was split by his mercurial nephew in July last year, has thrust himself in frenetic electoral campaigning to secure the political future of his daughter Supriya Sule, the incumbent three-term MP of Baramati, who is the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) candidate.
Ms. Sule is pitted against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, Ajit’s wife and the ruling Mahayuti’s candidate in what promises to be one of the most keenly fought electoral contests in the country. Baramati goes for election in the third phase on May 7.
On Friday, Mr. Pawar called on the family of his arch-adversary, the late Sambhajirao Kakade for the first time in 55 years in Baramati’s Nimbut village. Mr. Kakade, who had passed away aged 89 in 2021, was the last of the towering Socialist leaders in Pune and a Janata Party stalwart who had rubbed shoulders with Socialist luminaries like N.G. Gore and Mohan Dharia.
The late Mr. Kakade, said to be close to former PM V.P. Singh, had twice won the Baramati Lok Sabha seat – in 1977 and 1985. The Kakade family had controlled the Pune district Central Cooperative Bank for more than two decades before ceding control to the Pawar family, whose were their staunch adversaries.
It was said that Pawar senior never attended any programme of the Kakade family despite his nephew Ajit Pawar keeping up ties with the Kakades.
Yet, with his daughter facing stiff competition, Sharad Pawar personally called on the Kakade clan on Friday.
Prior to meeting the Kakade family, the NCP patriarch called upon yet another of his old foes – senior Congressman Anantrao Thopate, a former Minister in several Congress-led governments in the past.
Mr. Thopate, whose son Sangram is a three-term MLA from Bhor, is one of the last of the old Congress loyalists in Pune district and Mr. Pawar’s biggest rival when the latter was with the Congress.
According to political lore, it was Sharad Pawar who had allegedly ‘blocked’ Mr. Thopate’s path to becoming CM of Maharashtra. The popular perception of the two rivals was stark: Mr. Thopate, the ‘strait-laced’ Congressman while Sharad Pawar the ‘crafty opportunist.’
On the other side, Ajit Pawar, who has staked his all to ensure the victory of his wife Sunetra, swallowed a bitter pill to reconcile with his formidable adversary - former Minister and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena camp leader Vijay Shivtare from Purandar (which forms part of Baramati).
Mr. Shivtare, who until recently had vowed to overthrow the Pawar clan by entering the Baramati contest as the third challenger, shared stage with Ajit Pawar for the first time in years in the presence of CM Eknath Shinde.
In 2019, Ajit had led a relentless campaign against Mr. Shivtare (both were in opposing parties at the time), questioning his “stature” with savage put-downs like, “who is this Vijay Shivare who keeps chattering continuously like a parrot?”. Mr. Pawar had vowed to defeat Mr. Shivtare, and had kept his word in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly election.
Yet, on Thursday night, while sharing the dais, Mr. Ajit Pawar solemnly promised Mr. Shivtare he would expedite all pending development works related to the Purandar-Saswad area. These include the proposed Pune International Airport at Purandar, the ring road project Purandar, Haveli Phursungi development plan importantly water for the drought-hit villages there.
After much effort, both rival factions are trying to surmount old political animosities by wooing their adversaries.
While his uncle may have succeeded in isolated him from the Pawar clan (Ajit’s own brother Srinivas Pawar is backing Supriya Sule), it appears that Ajit Pawar has stolen a march securing his flanks in five of the six constituencies of the Baramati Lok Sabha which either have Mahayuti MLAs or where the ruling parties have a strong presence.
While Indapur is held by Ajit loyalist Datta Bharne, Daund is controlled by BJP MLA Rahul Kul. In the Baramati Assembly segment, Ajit Pawar himself is legislator, Khadakwasla is held by the BJP’s Bhimrao Tapkir, and in Purandar, Ajit has neutralised a potentially deadly enemy in the form of Mr. Shivtare.
To compound problems for Ms. Sule and the MVA, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s photo has now featured in Sunetra Pawar’s campaign banners. Mr. Thackeray had recently announced unconditional support for the Mahayuti and PM Modi.
