Sunetra Pawar will be elected unopposed in the Baramati by-elections

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

When a member of a deceased leader’s family contests a by-election, Maharashtra has a tradition of not fielding a candidate against them. The same practice will be seen in the Baramati Assembly by-election, and Sunetra Pawar’s election will be unopposed, said the state’s social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat while speaking to reporters here on Sunday.

Shirsat said that in the zilla parishad elections, shinde sena would win the maximum number of seats in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district and that the saffron flag of the Mahayuti will fly over the zilla parishad. Responding to a question about a suspicion raised by an MLA that Ajit Pawar’s aircraft had a bomb, he said an inquiry was under way. Such suspicions should be formally reported to the police. “There seems to be less grief over Ajitdada’s passing and more rounds of allegations. The aircraft was worth Rs 50 crore, and it is now understood that the pilot was insured for Rs 50 crore. There will definitely be an inquiry. The CID is conducting a probe and some other agencies are also investigating. This will take time, and later all facts will come to light,” he said.

When attention was drawn to social media posts claiming that Ajit Pawar is alive, Shirsat said social media creates confusion among the public every day. “Dada’s last rites have been performed, and work on installing his statue is under way. Therefore, such discussions are meaningless,” he said.

Referring to Uddhav Sena’s stand of not fielding a candidate on the grounds that a Marathi person is becoming mayor, Shirsat remarked that this was a case of ‘gire toh bhi tang upar’. He said they were not fielding a candidate simply because they lacked numerical strength. Answering a question on objections raised over Salman Khan attending an RSS event, the guardian minister said, “What went wrong if Salman Khan attended a Sangh programme? Did his presence change the Sangh’s ideology in any way? Raising objections over this is inappropriate.”

Uddhav Thackeray, the assembly and numbers

Uddhav Thackeray first entered the legislative council and became chief minister. Now, to return to the legislative council, the “backdoor” route is the only option before him. If the congress and Sharad Pawar support him, he can become an MLA in the legislative council. Without their backing, he cannot enter the council and will remain dependent on who extends support to him.