New Delhi: The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) on Saturday announced its first list of 5 candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha Polls 2024 and fielded Supriya Sule from Baramati Lok Sabha seat.  With the NCP's list, the long-standing dominance of the Pawar family in Baramati faces an intensified rift as Sharad Pawar's daughter will be challenging  Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra. Since 1996, Baramati has remained firmly in the grip of the Pawar clan, but now it will be interesting to see how internal divisions will reshape its political landscape.  

Baramati- Stronghold of Pawar Family

Baramati, known as the stronghold of the Pawar family, has been a significant electoral battleground. Even amidst the "Modi wave" in 2014, Supriya Sule managed to secure victory with a narrow margin, highlighting the entrenched influence of the Pawar family in the region. From 1996 to 2004, Sharad Pawar himself represented Baramati in the Lok Sabha, followed by Supriya Sule's consecutive wins from 2009 to 2019.

The constituency of Baramati is one of the largest in the state, encompassing over six lakh voters from both urban and rural areas. Last year, Ajit Pawar garnered support in Baramati following his split from his uncle, despite a strong emotional appeal from Sharad Pawar rallying supporters around him. This rift within the party led to a division among supporters in Baramati town, with senior party workers continuing to support Sharad Pawar while the younger generation backed Ajit 'Dada' Pawar as their leader.

Pawar vs Pawar in Baramati

This time Baramati may witness a fierce battle between Sule and Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra. Ajit Pawar would have been a preferred choice for many in Baramati, given his longstanding political stature in the region. However, his position as Deputy Chief Minister posed a dilemma, as winning the parliamentary seat would have necessitated his resignation from the state government. 

NCP List of 5 Candidates

• Supriya Sule- Baramati
• Amol Kolhe- Shirur
• Amar Kale- Wardha 
• Bhaskar Bagre- Dindori 
• Nilesh Lanke- Ahmednagar

Lok Sabha Polls In Maharashtra

The Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, which is the state with the second-highest number of Lok Sabha seats, will be held in five phases. These polls are scheduled between April 19 and May 20. The results, like those for the rest of the country, will be announced on June 4.

Maharashtra boasts 48 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 543 seats for which elections will be conducted this year. This makes it the state with the second-highest number of seats after Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 seats.