GG News Bureau
Pune, 12th April. In a surprising turn of events, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray’s decision to extend unconditional support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling MahaYuti government has swiftly propelled him from the political sidelines to the forefront of the electoral arena.
Within a mere 72 hours of his announcement, Thackeray’s presence looms large on the new posters, banners, handbills, and publicity material of Sunetra Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate from Baramati.
The Baramati constituency has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with NCP President and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra, poised to contest against her cousin sister, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Working President Supriya Sule, daughter of the Maratha stalwart Sharad Pawar.
The anticipated clash between the ‘bhabhi’ (Sunetra) and ‘nanad’ (Supriya) has garnered significant attention nationwide, being characterized as a duel between a ‘rookie’ and a ‘veteran,’ with supporters rallying behind both parties.
Thackeray’s support adds a new dimension to Sunetra A. Pawar’s campaign, enhancing her profile as his bespectacled image in a saffron kurta now shares space with other prominent figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, among others.
The electoral landscape in Baramati is further complicated by the historical dominance of the Pawar family, with Sharad Pawar having represented the constituency five times in the past. However, Sunetra A. Pawar is vigorously campaigning to wrest control from Supriya Sule’s grasp.
Despite the formidable opposition, Sunetra A. Pawar faces an uphill battle, given the constituency’s long-standing allegiance to the Congress-NCP alliance. The impending electoral showdown is not merely a contest between political factions but also a referendum on the splintered entities within the state’s political spectrum.
Sharad Pawar’s subtle remark about the ‘local’ (Supriya) versus ‘outsider’ (Sunetra) dynamic in the Baramati battle adds a layer of intrigue to the unfolding narrative, underscoring the familial and factional dynamics at play in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
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