Mumbai: Sunetra Pawar, who took oath as Deputy CM of Maharashtra just three days after her husband Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash in January amid political pulls and pressure, scored a record win in the bypoll from Baramati, riding on legacy and sympathy in the debut assembly contest.
Thrust into the political spotlight after the death of then Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) stalwart Ajit Pawar, the 62-year-old leader secured 2,18,969 votes and won by a margin of 2,18,034, with none of her 22 rivals, mostly Independents, even touching the four-digit mark.
The NCP claimed that Sunetra Pawar has set a new national record of the highest victory margin in the assembly elections, surpassing the previous record attributed to BJP’s Sunil Kumar Sharma, who had won the Sahibabad segment by 2.14 lakh votes in 2022.
Notably, the Opposition MVA had not fielded a candidate in the bypoll held on April 23 as a tribute to Ajit Pawar.
The other 22 candidates in the fray in Baramati together secured 4,837 votes.
RY Ghutukade of the New Rashtriya Samaj Party secured 935 votes, the highest among the remaining candidates, while 774 voters chose NOTA.
Riding the sympathy wave, Sunetra Pawar’s victory margin has surpassed that of her late husband, who defeated BJP’s Gopichand Padalkar by 1,65,265 votes in 2019. In the 2024 elections, Ajit Pawar’s victory margin was reduced to over 1 lakh votes.
Sunetra Pawar described the victory as a true tribute to Ajitdada’s work and his “cherished memories”.
“I sincerely thank all the beloved Baramati residents for electing me with an overwhelming majority,” she told reporters while urging supporters not to celebrate and to treat the mandate as a mark of respect for her late husband.
In a post on X, Sunetra Pawar thanked the people of Baramati for the overwhelming mandate.
“The trust, love, and support you have shown are of great importance to me,” she stated.
She added that Ajit Pawar’s guidance and presence are deeply missed at this moment.
“For me, this victory is not merely a political success but a true tribute to his work and his memory. His contribution to Maharashtra and Baramati, his strong connection with the people, and his vision for development continue to live in everyone’s hearts.
“His values and teachings give me the strength to move forward. I am fully aware that this victory brings with it the responsibility of carrying forward his dreams and legacy,” she added.
Echoing her appeal, her son Jay Pawar thanked voters and called for restraint in celebrations.
“None of us wanted to have such an election. We do not wish to celebrate this victory,” he said, also referring to a recent tragic incident in neighbouring Bhor tehsil. He added that the success was a collective effort and not an individual achievement.
A four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered by a 65-year-old man with a criminal record in Bhor tehsil, sparking massive outrage and protests.
Sunetra Pawar’s emphatic victory comes amid a sympathy wave and the Pawar family’s longstanding influence in Baramati, where Ajit Pawar had represented the seat eight times.
Her elevation as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and subsequent electoral endorsement mark a new phase for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which she now heads.
Hailing from Tera village in Dharashiv district of the Marathwada region, Sunetra Pawar comes from a politically active family.
Her brother Padamsinh Patil is a senior NCP leader, while her father Bajirao Patil had participated in the Marathwada liberation struggle. Despite this background, she largely stayed away from active politics until recently.
A commerce graduate with interests in painting, music, photography and agriculture, she took up farming in Katewadi after her marriage. She made her electoral debut in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Baramati, where she lost to her sister-in-law Supriya Sule, and was later elected to the Rajya Sabha.
Sunetra Pawar is also known for her work in the social and environmental sectors. She founded the Environment Forum of India (EFOI) in 2010, promoting eco-village models and sustainable rural development.
She has led initiatives in biodiversity conservation, water management and drought mitigation, and spearheaded a self-help group movement across 86 villages under the Nirmal Gram campaign.
She serves as a trustee of the Vidya Pratishthan and has represented India in global discussions on sustainability as part of a think-tank of the World Entrepreneurship Forum in France. She also chairs the Baramati hi-tech textile park, which provides employment to over 15,000 rural women.
Her rise assumes significance against the backdrop of the NCP’s split in 2023 after Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
With Sunetra Pawar at the helm, the NCP now faces the challenge of maintaining cohesion while navigating coalition politics with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The once low-profile member of the influential Pawar family now faces the formidable task of consolidating her leadership and steering the party and constituency in a rapidly evolving political landscape.
Meanwhile, Jay Pawar said the NCP had wanted to retain the Maharashtra Olympic Association chief’s post earlier held by Ajit Pawar and that the issue could be discussed with the chief minister.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said people of Baramati have voted in favour of Ajit Pawar’s progressive ideas.
Source link
-
-
-
-
-
