NCP's Ajit Pawar to stage show of strength in Baramati ahead of assembly polls

Mumbai: The Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will hold a mega rally and stage a massive show of strength on Sunday, in Baramati, in the run up to the Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra.

The rally will be held in the backdrop of the debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.

NCP President Ajit, alongside BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis in the Maha Yuti (NDA) government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, would take forward the plans, programmes and policies of the alliance government.

The July 14 event has been titled 'Jan Samman Rally'. “On this occasion, the leadership will interact with party workers and the future plans of the party will be discussed,” state NCP President Sunil Tatkare said.

In the Lok Sabha polls, of the 48 seats the NCP was allotted five seats of which four were contested by the party while one was given to Mahadev Jankar of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha.

The NCP managed to win just one seat - the Raigad seat, which is represented by Tatkare.

Ajit fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar from Baramati; however, she was defeated by Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar - who won the elections for fourth term.

In June-July 2023, Ajit led a banner of revolt against Sharad, his uncle and mentor, and joined the BJP camp and later successfully claimed the NCP and its iconic clock symbol.

On the other hand, Sharad was allotted the party name as NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and given the man-blowing-turah symbol.

The NCP (SP) contested 10 seats and won eight - one of the best success rates for the party. After the Baramati defeat, Sunetra was sent to the Rajya Sabha.

The Baramati show of strength is happening at a time when there is a tussle between the Marathas and OBCs over the reservation issue.

The OBC resistance to Marathas getting reservation as Kunbis under OBC bracket, is being spearheaded by state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who is also the President of All India Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad.

In the Vidhan Sabha polls, Ajit does not want to take any chance as the NCP (SP) is expected to field Sharad's grand-nephew Yugendra Pawar.

Ajit is a seven-time MLA from Baramati and Sharad’s other grand-nephew Rohit Pawar is an MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in the Ahmednagar district.

While NCP is part of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has not joined the ministry as the NDA offered the post of minister of state and not of cabinet rank.

Whenever, NCP gets a cabinet berth, party's working president and Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel would join the ministry.