Ajit Pawar received a major shock in the Baramati Lok Sabha elections when his wife Sunetra Pawar lost to his cousin and NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule. However, Sunetra Pawar was later accepted into the Rajya Sabha.
In the Vidhan Sabha elections, the NCP (SP) will field Yugendra Pawar against Ajit Pawar, a seven-time MLA from Baramati.
Ajit Pawar is now planning to undertake a massive interaction and awareness tour, ‘Jan Samman Yatra’, during which he will travel across the regions of Konkan, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha.
During the pilgrimage, state Finance and Planning Minister Ajit Pawar will highlight initiatives announced in the Budget 2024-25 such as Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme, Annapurna Scheme, Power Subsidy Scheme for Farmers, Youth Labour Training Scheme and initiatives for farmers.
“Chief Minister Ajit Dada has presented the 10th Budget which focuses on social issues and supporting rural areas,” Tatkare said.
“The yatra is aimed at informing people about the benefits of these schemes and also conveying our political ideals to the people ahead of the upcoming elections,” he added.
Currently, in the Maha Yuti alliance, the BJP has 103 state assembly members, followed by the NCP with 40 and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 38.
As for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the BJP has 37 members, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has 15 and Sharad Pawar’s New Communist Party (SP) has 10.
The Maharashtra Assembly comprises 288 seats and seat allocation among the three allied states will be a key issue.
Another key issue is that the RSS, the ideological parent organisation of the BJP, has openly expressed its displeasure with the saffron party’s alliance with the NCP.
RSS stalwart Ratan Sharda criticised the BJP’s decision in an opinion piece published in The Organiser titled “Modi 3.0: A conversation for course correction”, which was followed by other articles:
“Karyakarta khachlela nahi, tar sambhramat” (Workers are not discouraged, but confused), by Nimesh Vahalkar.
The NCP has been very cautious about its criticism of the RSS and has preferred not to react harshly.
Of the 48 seats in the Indian parliament, the BJP-led NDA won 17 seats, beating the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s 31.
From Mahayuti, the BJP contested 28 seats and won nine, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena fielded 15 candidates and won seven, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP fielded four candidates and won one seat. One seat was allotted to ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha leader Mahadev Jhankar, who was defeated.
