In a decisive display of political strength, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured a commanding victory in the Baramati municipal council elections on Sunday. This win solidifies his control over the Pawar family's traditional stronghold in the first civic contest since the party's split.
A Resounding Victory for the Ajit Pawar Camp
The results delivered a clear mandate for the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, which won 35 out of the 41 seats in the municipal council. This impressive tally matches the number of seats the undivided NCP had won in the previous civic polls back in 2017. In a significant setback for the rival faction, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) or NCP (SP), led by his uncle Sharad Pawar, managed to secure only a single seat.
Other parties had a minimal presence in the outcome. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) each won one seat. Three seats were claimed by Independent candidates. Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to win any seat in this election.
Key Contests and Family Dynamics
This election marked the first civic poll in Baramati where members of the influential Pawar family were directly pitted against each other. While the contest was broadly seen as a face-off between uncle Sharad Pawar and nephew Ajit Pawar, local insiders revealed that the ground-level battle was primarily between Ajit Pawar and his other nephew, Yugendra Pawar.
"Neither Sharad Pawar nor Supriya Sule campaigned in Baramati. Yugendra Pawar was the only leader holding meetings and campaigning on the ground for NCP (SP), while Ajit Pawar himself addressed rallies and remained actively involved throughout the campaign," a senior NCP functionary stated anonymously.
This civic battle follows their encounters in other recent elections. In the Lok Sabha polls, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule emerged victorious from the Baramati constituency. However, in the state assembly elections last year, Ajit Pawar had secured a win.
Notable Winners and the Mayor's Post
Among the newly elected corporators is twenty-one-year-old Sanghamitra Chaudhari. She is the daughter of Kaluram Chaudhari, a long-time political rival of Ajit Pawar who also contested unsuccessfully for the mayor's post this time. Her campaign received support from several OBC leaders, including Laxman Hake.
The Ajit Pawar faction also clinched the mayor's position. The newly elected mayor, Amit Satav, highlighted the significance of his victory. "Both my parents served as mayor in the past, but they were elected by corporators. I am the first to be elected directly by the people. This places a greater responsibility on me to ensure that every citizen's voice is considered while taking decisions on the city's development," Satav said.
It is important to note that elections were held for only 33 of the 41 seats, as eight candidates from the NCP were elected unopposed, further underscoring the faction's dominance in the political landscape of Baramati.
