Sharad Pawar-play on family turf ahead of 'V-day' tomorrow

BARAMATI: In the politically charged constituency of Baramati where temperatures soared above 40 degrees celsius both literally and electorally, the last day of the campaigning witnessed a dramatic showdown between political titans.
Sharad Pawar and his loyalists, campaigning for NCP (SCP) candidate Supriya Sule, made an emotional pitch rallying for Maharashtra's pride against the perceived influence from Delhi, while deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and his camp, canvassing for NCP candidate and his wife Sunetra Pawar, told people not to give in to sentiments and pitched a vision of the state's development on the basis of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance.
With both MVA and Mahayuti alliances campaigned in close proximity throughout the day in the three talukas of Bhor, Indapur before finally signing off in Baramati, it was an intense atmosphere.
Beyond mere political ambition, this contest embodies intricate family dynamics and holds the potential to shape the course of Maharashtra's political landscape.
Around 5pm, just as the scorching sun edged towards the horizon, Baramati constituency became the focal point of a fiercely contested battleground.
For the past 40 years, the ground in Christian Colony was the venue where patriarch and NCP's founder Sharad Pawar addressed supporters after hosting a family lunch
This time, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar held a rally on this private trust-owned facility for his wife, Sunetra, to officially end the campaign, forcing NCP (SCP) to sign off theirs at a ground on Old Morgaon Road in Kasba for Sule.
Both grounds were packed with supporters, with music and sloganeering making the atmosphere electric. The speeches from Sule's supporters urged voters to remember Sharad Pawar and what he means to Baramati and Maharashtra's politics.
"In this election, Baramati has become more important than Varanasi and that is the strength of Baramati. My fight is not with anyone but with the rulers of Delhi (Delhi ke takht se) to uphold Maharashtra's pride. Vote for my merit and my work. I have raised my voice against the prices of milk, the ban on onion export and other issues related to farmers and the common man in Parliament and will continue to be your voice if elected to power again," Sule said, adding that taxpayers' money fuelled development work and not from anyone's private funds.
Eightythree-year-old Pawar spoke in Bhor and in Baramati where he appealed to the voters considering the importance of the election. Several times in his speeches, Pawar invoked Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and how his govt was known as the people's government.
Giving the examples of Jharkhand and Delhi, Pawar said that the rulers in Delhi are trying to usurp govts elected by the people and if 'you don't want this to happen in Maharashtra, vote for Sule'. Pawar also talked about the need for people to unite to give a new direction to the state.
In his rally, Ajit Pawar said, "This election is vital, and I need everyone's blessings. I want development. Narendra Modi is the country's Vikas Purush (man for progress). I am this region's Vikas Purush. Funds did not come here for the past 15 years. If you send our candidate to Lok Sabha, there will be no dearth of funds," he said, adding that he will improve railway connectivity in Baramati and Metro services in Pune.
Sunetra projected herself as a social worker from Baramati's soil who always remained backstage and appealed for votes based on development works done by Ajit Pawar and Narendra Modi.
"During the campaign, I travelled to all districts and realised people of Baramati want change. In this election, we have a combination of Ajit Dada's 'vikas' and Modiji's guarantee. Remember this election is not about family or local politics, but about who will take the nation to prosperity. Only Modiji can do that," she said.
But, on the ground, voters remained divided over which Pawar to choose.
"There is a feeling among the people that Ajit Pawar betrayed Pawar in his old age, split the party and took away the symbol and the party with him. The speeches also say the same thing. Sharad Pawar has a huge emotional draw among people and the Sule camp has been appealing to them to vote on that basis. We feel the same way," a Sharad Pawar loyalist said.
Others like Saurabh Bhosale said that they will vote for Sule now but for Ajit Pawar in the state assembly polls. Many also said that just like the split in the Pawar family, votes in their families are also divided.