Reprieve for Ajit Pawar in Baramati as rebel pulls out of contest

Ajit Pawar is expected to field his wife Sunetra Pawar from Baramati. | Photo Credit: PTI

In a reprieve for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, former Minister Vijay Shivtare, a senior leader of the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (Mr. Pawar’s ally in the Mahayutigovernment), was finally persuaded to withdraw from the election to the Baramati Lok Sabha seat. He would have been the third candidate.

Mr. Ajit Pawar is likely to field his wife Sunetra from Baramati against the incumbent MP, Supriya Sule, who is NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter and Mr. Ajit Pawar’s cousin.

Earlier this month, Mr. Shivtare, former two-term MLA from Purandar (one of six Assembly segments in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency), had launched a tirade against the Pawar clan, especially Ajit Pawar, who caused his defeat in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly election.

Mr. Shivtare had vowed to contest as an Independent to unseat the Pawars.

Top brass pacify rebel

He was finally pacified at a meeting held late Wednesday night in Mumbai by CM Eknath Shinde and BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at which Mr. Ajit Pawar was also present.

Photos after the meeting showed a smiling Mr. Shivtare being feted with a bouquet of flowers by Ajit Pawar, Mr. Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis.

Sources said that Mr. Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis had impressed upon the would-be rebel Shinde Sena leader that the objective of the Mahayuti was to ensure that Narendra Modi returned as PM for the third time. The Mahayuti leaders reportedly told Mr. Shivtare that this election was not the appropriate time to give vent to past resentments.

“We had a meeting with Mr. Shivtare. He said he would abide by the Mahayuti coalition leadership’s instructions. I thank him for reconsidering his decision [to contest as an independent],” said Mr. Shinde today, assuring that Mr. Shivtare would not campaign against Ajit Pawar in Baramati.

Stubborn defiance

Despite previous attempts at pacification by CM Eknath Shinde, who personally summoned the disgruntled Mr. Shivtare and urged him to obey ‘coalition dharma’, the Shinde Sena leader had refused to budge.

Alleging that the Pawars’ had done nothing for Baramati’s development during their unchallenged reign of nearly 50 years, Mr. Shivtare positioned himself as the voice of the common people in Baramati to be pitted against the dynastic Pawar clan.

Meanwhile, sources say that Mr. Fadnavis will soon be visiting Baramati to ensure that all differences at the local level are resolved and that all leaders campaign wholeheartedly for Ajit Pawar’s victory in Baramati.