NCP Plans to Contest Baramati Lok Sabha Seat; Sunetra Pawar Likely Candidate

Sunil Tatkare, the head of the NCP’s state unit, announced that the party intends to compete for the Baramati Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming elections. Sunetra Pawar, the spouse of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is likely to be the candidate, supported by both party members and Baramati residents.

Tatkare clarified that the final decision will be made in an upcoming meeting, but they will push for Baramati in discussions with the BJP and the Sena about seat sharing. The current MP for Baramati is Supriya Sule, who is from the NCP and is related to Ajit Pawar.

Tatkare dismissed rumors of Ajit Pawar’s son, Parth, running for the Lok Sabha seat from Pune. He also mentioned that his brother Anil’s decision to join the NCP was not surprising, given their lack of political ties, and Anil was appointed as the vice president of the faction led by Sharad Pawar.

There is speculation that Anil’s appointment is a move to counter Sunil Tatkare’s potential candidacy for the Raigad Lok Sabha seat. However, Tatkare expressed his interest in running from Raigad and discussed his brother’s lack of support in previous elections.

Regarding allegations of betrayal from Sharad Pawar’s group, Tatkare defended his faction’s actions, citing previous collaborations between the NCP and the BJP, which were approved by the speaker and upheld by the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.