The Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra’s Pune district is witnessing a highly competitive election between two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and, notably, two members of the Pawar family. Supriya Sule, the incumbent MP and daughter of NCP founder Sharad Pawar is contending against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Key Highlights:
– Family Rivalry: This election is marked by an unprecedented intra-family contest within the Pawar family, with Supriya Sule representing her father’s faction of the NCP, and Sunetra Pawar representing the Ajit Pawar faction.
– Historical Significance: This is the first instance where Sharad Pawar’s leadership faces a direct challenge from within his own family, making the election particularly significant.
– Early Results: After the 3rd round of vote counting, Supriya Sule has taken a lead of 14,073 votes.
– Previous Elections: Supriya Sule has represented the Baramati constituency since 2009 and secured 686,714 votes in the 2019 elections, defeating BJP’s Kanchan Rahul Kul.
Projections and Current Scenario:
According to the exit poll, Supriya Sule is likely to retain her seat in this traditional stronghold of the Pawar family. The counting of votes commenced at 8 am, and as it progressed, Supriya Sule’s lead underscores her strong position.
