Atul Ashok Howale 
The Maharashtra assembly elections have brought Baramati into the spotlight, with the entire state’s focus on this key battleground.
This time, the contest in Baramati pits the experienced Ajit Pawar (NCP) against Yugendra Pawar (NCP-SP). However, this election isn’t confined to Baramati alone; it has become a direct show of strength for Ajit Pawar and his uncle, Sharad Pawar.
It is for this reason that these polls are set to significantly reshape Maharashtra’s political landscape, especially in the western region.
After the split in 2022, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under Ajit Pawar aligned with the BJP and joined the government. Ajit has been elected MLA from Baramati seven times, but the decision did not appear to make too many of the traditional voters of Baramati happy. The Lok Sabha elections that followed did not see Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction do well.
In contrast, Sharad Pawar’s faction secured eight out of 10 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. In Baramati, the first-ever “Pawar versus Pawar” battle unfolded, where Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, defeated Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar.
In Western Maharashtra, voter support and sympathy seem to lean slightly towards Sharad Pawar. Districts like Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, and Pune, known for their sugarcane production, have been Sharad Pawar’s strongholds since he founded his party.
The Wire spoke to the people of Baramati and found that this assembly election presents a divided scenario. Voters in the urban areas of Baramati seem to favour Ajit, while those in the rural areas lean towards Sharad Pawar.