Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Three generations of Pawar campaigning, two generations contesting for state polls

Baramati, Pune district: At a time when the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is split and there is tension within the otherwise closely-knit Pawar-family of Baramati, the 2024 Maharashtra polls becomes interesting as three generations are involved in hectic campaign while two generations are contesting polls.

As one travels from Pune city to Baramati, one can see huge posters and banners of the Pawar clan.

Amid health issues and age, Sharad Pawar (83), the family patriarch, who now commands NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is criss-crossing the state riding high on the strike-rate of the party in the Lok Sabha polls which took place less than a year after the June-July 2023 coup, in which is nephew Ajit Pawar (65) took control of the NCP and the iconic clock symbol.

Pawar, however, later secured the party name as NCP (SP) and man-blowing-tutari symbol.

Three Pawar family members involving two generations are contesting the polls - the most thrilling being the contest of Baramati, the hustling-bustling town.

The Lok Sabha elections has seen Ajit Pawar, the now NCP President and Deputy Chief Minister, putting up his wife Sunetra Pawar (60) against his Sharad Pawar’s daughter and sitting MP Supriya Sule (55), who won the election for the fourth time. Sunetra Pawar was later sent to the Rajya Sabha.

In Assembly polls, Ajit Pawar, a seven-time MLA from Baramati, is pitted against his nephew Yugendra Pawar (32), the son of his brother Shriniwas Pawar.

“The emergence of NCP and NCP (SP) has divided families in Baramati. We have seen this in the Lok Sabha polls. The same thing continues in Assembly polls, maybe a bit more,” a Pawar-family insider told DH.

The other Pawar family member, who is contesting the polls is Sharad Pawar’s grand-nephew Rohit Pawar, the son of Rajendra Pawar, who is cousin of Ajit Pawar.

Rohit Pawar (39), who is the sitting MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahilyanagar district (earlier Ahmednagar), is contesting against BJP MLC Prof Ram Shinde, whom he defeated in 2019 polls. Rohit Pawar is also the President of Maharashtra Cricket Association.

“It is unfortunate…my three generations have seen the three Pawar generations and worked with them. Today, the party is divided and the family too in a sense,” a Baramati resident said, pointing out that in 2024, it is for the first time that two Diwali Padwa celebrations were held in the city.

While Saheb, as Sharad Pawar is fondly known and his wife Pratibha Pawar, celebrated at his Govindbaug residence on Baramati-Malegaon road, Dada, as Ajit Pawar is lovingly called and Sunetra Pawar, celebrated at his Katewadi residence.

The family feud also came out in the open when Ajit Pawar skipped the Bhau Beej celebrations.

“The campaign too is very hectic…while for Yugendra Pawar, three Pawar generations are there for campaign - Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, his father Shriniwas Pawar and mother Sharmila Pawar and cousin Rohit Pawar, on the other hand for Ajit Pawar, there is Sunetra Pawar and their two sons Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar,” a Pawar-family member said.

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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