The upcoming Lok Sabha election is expected to be a high-octane battle in in Maharashtra's Baramati constituency where the Pawar family might be in a head-to-head contest with speculation of Ajit Pawar's wife potential candidacy against his cousin Supriya Sule, who is the current MP of the constituency.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar's faction was recently ruled as the real party in a big setback to party founder Sharad Pawar, who is also Ajit's uncle. The Election Commission on February 6 recognised the faction led Ajit Pawar as the real NCP and also allotted the party's poll symbol 'Clock' to the Ajit Pawar group.
Baramati MP Supriya Sule is part of the Sharad Pawar side.
On Friday, Ajit Pawar urged people in Baramati to elect a "first-timer" who though is surrounded by "experienced people", igniting speculation of a familial clash within the party. Although Ajit Pawar refrained from direct mentions, his emotional appeal hinted at a potential candidacy for his wife, Sunetra Pawar, against the incumbent Baramati MP Supriya Sule.
Who Is Sunetra Pawar
Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra belongs to a political family, with her brother Padamsinh Patil being a senior politician and a former minister.
Sunetra and Ajit Pawar are parents to two sons - Jay and Parth Pawar. Jay looks after the family business, while Parth is into politics and lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Maval, reports mentioned.
Sunetra Pawar, known for her social work in Baramati, is the founder of the Environmental Forum of India, an NGO founded in 2010, as mentioned in her website. She was a mentor in inculcating the concept of the eco-village in India, the website says, adding that Sunetra Pawar serves as a trustee for the indigenous and well-known educational institution Vidya Pratishthan.
Sunetra Pawar has been a think tank member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum in France since 2011, as per the website.
Reacting to speculation of Ajit Pawar's wife's possible candidacy against her from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, Supriya Sule on Saturday said it's a democracy and everyone has the right to contest elections.
"But, it's very unfortunate and painful that the temple of democracy is the parliament and yesterday the way parliamentary procedures were mocked, it was very painful for committed and dedicated people like us... Because we look up to Jawaharlal Nehru, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Sushma Swaraj...who made many big differences by debating things in the parliament... I am surprised and disappointed that someone as senior leader as Ajit Pawar is to say something like that...," Sule said.
Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar chief Sharad Pawar also echoed the same and said if someone is exercising the right to contest polls then there is no reason to complain about it. "We should put our position before the people. People know what we have done in the last 55-60 years," he said.
