NCP Plans Sunetra Pawar for Deputy CM, Baramati LS Seat
In a major political manoeuvre, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is set to nominate Sunetra Pawar, the wife of party chief Ajit Pawar, for the post of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister. The party is also preparing to field her from the high-stakes Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, currently held by her sister-in-law and rival NCP (SP) chief Supriya Sule.
Key Developments
- The NCP plans to nominate Sunetra Pawar for Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.
- She is likely to contest the Baramati Lok Sabha seat against sitting MP Supriya Sule.
- If she wins, Ajit Pawar will have to vacate his Baramati Assembly seat due to constitutional rules.
- The move is a direct challenge to the Pawar family’s dominance in their traditional stronghold.
The Baramati Conundrum
Ajit Pawar currently serves as Deputy Chief Minister and is the MLA from the Baramati Assembly constituency. Constitutional provisions bar a person from simultaneously being a member of both Parliament and the state legislature.
Therefore, if Sunetra Pawar contests and wins the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, Ajit Pawar will be compelled to vacate his Assembly seat. This sets the stage for a high-profile electoral battle within the Pawar family.
A Strategic Power Play
This move is widely viewed as a strategic attempt by the Ajit Pawar faction to directly challenge the political dominance of the Pawar family’s traditional stronghold of Baramati. It signals an intensification of the internal rivalry within the NCP and the broader Maratha political landscape.
