Pune: NCP (SP) working president and Baramati MP Supriya Sule on Thursday announced that she will never again contest an election against any member of the Pawar family. Supriya's sister-in-law and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar welcomed her statement and expressed the hope that there should not be another Pawar versus Pawar contest on any poll turf.
Background of Pawar Family Electoral Battles
The Pawar family members have fought elections against each other twice in Baramati since the NCP's split in 2023. The first contest occurred in 2024 when Supriya and Sunetra faced off to represent Baramati in the Lok Sabha. Supriya emerged victorious in that election. A few months after the Lok Sabha polls, then-NCP chief Ajit Pawar defeated his nephew, Yugendra Pawar, in the assembly elections.
Supriya's Clarification
Supriya, while interacting with the media in Mumbai on Thursday, made it clear that there would be no such electoral contest in the future. "I am making it clear that I will not contest against any Pawar family member. If somebody from the family decides to contest the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, I will opt for another constituency," she said. Referring to her battle against Sunetra in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Supriya added, "There was some background to that election, which I do not wish to discuss now. That time too I did not want to contest against my family member. In future also, I will maintain the same stand."
Sunetra's Response
Sunetra welcomed Supriya's stand. "Ever since I joined active politics, I have tried to keep politics and family relations separate. I am happy with Supriya Tai's stand. The entire Pawar family is of the same opinion," the NCP chief told reporters in Nagpur.
Recent Family Unity
Although talks about the merger of both factions of the NCP have taken a backseat after Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash on January 28, the Pawar family members are seen frequently coming together. During the recent Baramati bypoll, Supriya not only announced that her party, NCP(SP), would not field any candidate against Sunetra but also joined her sister-in-law on the last day of campaigning.
