The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has announced Sunetra Pawar as its candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle against Supriya Sule. The announcement came after a period of suspense regarding the candidature from Baramati, a constituency long associated with the Pawar family's political dominance.
Sunetra Pawar's nomination was officially confirmed by Sunil Tatkare, the president of NCP's State unit, during a press conference in Mumbai.
Earlier today, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) announced its first list of five candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha Polls 2024. Among these candidates, Supriya Sule has been fielded from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat.
“After discussions with our alliance partners, we have decided to field Sunetra Pawar from Baramati Lok Sabha seat,” said Sunil Tatkare said.
The Baramati constituency has historically been a stronghold of the Pawar family, with Sharad Pawar representing it in the Lok Sabha from 1996 to 2004. Supriya Sule has continued this legacy with consecutive wins from 2009 to 2019. Baramati's constituency is among the state's largest, with more than six lakh voters from urban and rural regions. Recently, Ajit Pawar gained backing in Baramati after his separation from Sharad Pawar, despite Sharad Pawar's emotional appeal that attracted many supporters. This division within the party caused a split among supporters in Baramati town: older party members stood by Sharad Pawar, while the younger generation supported Ajit Pawar as their leader.
Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Schedule, Dates, and Key Details
The elections in Maharashtra, the Indian state with the second-highest number of Lok Sabha seats, will be conducted in five phases from April 19 to May 20. The results are scheduled to be declared on June 4. Maharashtra holds 48 seats out of the total 543 seats up for election nationwide, ranking second after Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 seats.
Here are the key details of the Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024:
- Election Phases:
- Phase 1 (April 19): Ramtek (SC), Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), Chandrapur
- Phase 2 (April 26): Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani
- Phase 3 (May 7): Raigad, Baramati, Osmanabad, Latur (SC), Solapur (SC), Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Hatkanangle
- Phase 4 (May 13): Nandurbar (ST), Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi (SC), Beed
- Phase 5 (May 20): Dhule, Dindori (ST), Nashik, Palghar (ST), Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai North, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai South
The political landscape in Maharashtra has witnessed significant shifts in alliances and party dynamics since 2014. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA alliance came to power at the Centre in 2014, leading to changes in state politics. In the 2014 Legislative Assembly elections, a coalition between Shiv Sena and BJP secured the most seats, forming the ruling government.
Before 2014, Maharashtra was predominantly governed by a coalition comprising the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Indian National Congress (INC).