BJP highlights local issues to dent Pawar's bastion Baramati

The BJP is making a fresh bid to make a dent into the Pawar family's stronghold of Baramati in the upcoming Maharashtra polls by picking holes in the NCP's development claims.

While the BJP is highlighting water scarcity and bad condition of roads in the Baramati Assembly segment located in Pune district, the NCP, which harps on development brought by it in the constituency, is making light of the saffron challenge, saying it faces "no contest" at all.

The saffron party has pinned its hopes on Gopichand Padalkar, a Dhangar (shepherd) community leader, who faces a formidable challenge from NCP leader MLA Ajit Pawar, the former state deputy chief minister and Sharad Pawar's nephew.

Ajit Pawar, who recently resigned as MLA, is seeking a re-election from Baramati, a prominent constituency in the sugar belt of western Maharashtra.

During the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, NCP chief Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule defeated BJP's Kanchan Kul by over one lakh votes from the Baramati parliamentary constituency.

However, unperturbed by the Lok Sabha poll defeat, Padalkar is confident of winning the Baramati Assembly seat, claiming that a "change will come this time".

Padalkar, who contested the Lok Sabha polls from Sangli as the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi candidate against BJP's Sanjay Kaka Patil, joined the saffron party earlier this month.

He said after his candidature was announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he has made Baramati his base and is reaching out to people in all 117 villages of the segment.

"A different picture is being portrayed about the development model of Baramati, but the reality is different. Forget about the rural parts of Baramati, there are several areas in the town where people are facing water scarcity," he claimed while talking to PTI.

Locals in the constituency have been demanding better roads, water and other infrastructure, he said.

"People here are terrified, but I am speaking to them and trying to enthuse confidence. I am sure that this time more and more people will come and vote for the BJP and a change will take place," said Padalkar, who hails from Sangli.

The Dhangar community has a sizeable vote bank in the constituency.

Referring to it, Padalkar said, "Though I am a Dhangar, I feel one should not give a caste colour to this election as people from all sections, castes are with me. This election is important from the development point of view."