Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, clarified that he did not ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a rally in his Baramati constituency, stating that the contest there is a "family matter." Pawar, the incumbent MLA, is facing off against his nephew, Yugendra Pawar, who is contesting from the rival Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Sharad Pawar.The Prime Minister is set to begin his campaign rallies for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections starting Friday. When questioned about the absence of a rally in Baramati, Ajit Pawar explained that the contest is within the family and therefore not requiring outside intervention.
Ajit Pawar’s NCP, part of the ruling coalition with the BJP and Shiv Sena, is currently not seeking rallies from senior BJP leaders like Amit Shah either. Pawar attributed this to the limited time left for campaigning and the cap on election expenses. When asked about his expected margin of victory in Baramati, Ajit Pawar said that while he would assess the situation after meeting with constituents, he was "100% certain" that he would secure a significant lead. The November 20th assembly elections will witnessing round two of the Pawar versus Pawar battle unfold as Ajit, who is national president of the NCP, faces a challenge from his nephew Yugendra Pawar, candidate of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).With Baramati set for the big fight within the Pawar family and senior leaders from both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) busy at the state level, the younger generation has stepped up and taken charge of the campaign in Baramati.