23 April,2026 05:09 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Rohit Pawar. Pic/X
NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar on Thursday claimed that efforts are being made to engineer a "Pawar versus Pawar" electoral contest in Baramati for the 2029 assembly elections, with the intent of undermining the long-standing political legacy of the Pawar family in the region, reported PTI.
Addressing reporters after casting his vote in the Baramati bypoll, Rohit Pawar said that while the people of the constituency do not favour a family face-off, certain political interests appear keen on forcing such a situation. His remarks come amid speculation that a contest could emerge between Jay Pawar, son of Ajit Pawar, and Yugendra Pawar, his cousin, in the next assembly elections, reported PTI.
He pointed out that similar family contests had already taken place in recent elections, despite public sentiment being against such divisions.
Without naming individuals directly, Rohit Pawar appeared to target the ruling Mahayuti alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party along with factions of the Nationalist Congress Party and the Shiv Sena. He alleged that some leaders aligned with this coalition are interested in triggering a Pawar family contest to weaken its political stronghold, reported PTI.
According to him, neither the Pawar family nor Baramati voters want such a direct clash, but external political calculations could override public sentiment.
Baramati has already witnessed high-profile contests within the Pawar family in recent years. In the last Lok Sabha election, Supriya Sule defeated Sunetra Pawar. Later, in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, Ajit Pawar secured a decisive victory against his nephew Yugendra Pawar, winning by a margin exceeding one lakh votes.
These contests highlighted growing political divisions within the extended family, even as both factions retained strong influence in the region.
Rohit Pawar also stated that Ajit Pawar had intended to reunite the divided factions of the Nationalist Congress Party. He claimed that had Ajit Pawar been alive, a merger between the factions might have taken place, potentially altering the political landscape of the state, reported PTI.
He further suggested that such unity could have strengthened Ajit Pawar's leadership prospects in Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, Jay Pawar acknowledged that there is public demand for him to contest the Baramati seat in 2029 but maintained that he would continue working as a party member for now, reported PTI.
On the other hand, Shrinivas Pawar, Ajit Pawar's younger brother, dismissed the ongoing discussion as premature. He described the remarks by both Rohit Pawar and Jay Pawar as unnecessary, stating that it was too early to speculate about an election that is still several years away, reported PTI.
Despite differing views, the debate underscores the continued political significance of Baramati and the enduring influence of the Pawar family in Maharashtra politics.
(With inputs from PTI)
