Lok Sabha elections: Modi missing, it is Pawar vs Pawar in Baramati

Maharashtra’s Baramati constituency is witnessing a high-octane battle between the sitting MP Supriya Sule and NCP’s Sunetra Pawar, whose husband Ajit Pawar recently cut political ties with uncle Sharad Pawar.

Baramati, which goes to polls on Tuesday, is one of the few constituencies where Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma will not be a factor.

The electoral battle here is shaped by a slew of local factors as well as the ongoing tussle between the two Pawar factions.

On one hand, is the elder Pawar’s legacy and Sule’s ground-work over three terms as an MP. On the other is Ajit’s influence on the co-operatives. According to a police officer, voters are disillusioned with the vicious politics played out in recent years, which he says could hurt voter turnout.

At a recent public meeting in Pune, Modi described Pawar, the octogenarian leader, as a “bhatakati aatma”, or a restless soul. The remark hasn’t gone down well in Baramati either with the workers. Pawar retorted by saying that his ‘aatma”, or soul, is indeed restless not for himself but for the hardships that farmers in the region face.

Predominantly an agro-based economy, the character of this region is rapidly changing, with the ever-expanding contours of the Pune metropolitan region, which has fuelled the growth of the IT and services sector.

Residents along the road linking the Satara Highway with Saswad are agitated over the fate of the much-discussed airport in Purandar in Saswad. They see it as a missed opportunity for an IT hub. “This certainly is a matter relating to civil aviation, a central government subject,” said the owner of the tea stall, showing clarity about the domain that the MP should focus on.

The friction within the Mahayuti constituents was evident when Shiv Sena (Shinde group) leader Vijay Shivtare from Purandar Vidhan Sabha region, and a known rival of Ajit, announced his intent to stand as a candidate.

He later withdrew and agreed only after to a truce only after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the BJP leadership intervened.

The BJP, however, lacks a robust organisation in the region. An RSS worker, standing near the campaign office of the NCP-Ajit Pawar group, said his party advised him to be with the Mahayuti candidate. However, they are yet to get clear instructions for active canvassing.