He must have tried his best to avoid this eventuality but a contest in Baramati between Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and nephew Yugendra Pawar is inevitable. Ajit was a much wiser man after his wife Sunetra lost against his cousin Supriyva Pawar in the Lok Sabha election. Almost with a sense of foreboding, Ajit had said, "One should not allow politics to enter home.”
Later, Ajit even said he was not keen on contesting the Baramati assembly polls, as he had done it 7 to 8 times. Both statements were seen as an attempt at damage control to avoid another straight fight against a Pawar family member. Yogendra (32) is the son of Ajit Pawar's younger brother Shrinivas.
Of course, Ajit’s rethink has a lot to do with poll mathematics, as his wife had polled approximately 48000 votes less than sister Supriya in the Baramati assembly segment alone in the Lok Sabha elections.
While reacting to his candidature, an unfazed Yugendra Pawar expressed his gratitude to Sharad Pawar and said he wanted to tackle various issues, including corruption and crime in Baramati. 'I will work tirelessly to ensure that Pawar Saheb is proud of me,' he stated.
Discussing the challenge of contesting against his uncle, Yugendra remarked, "It’s unfortunate that we have to face each other. During the Lok Sabha elections, many felt there shouldnt be a clash between two Pawars, but once an arrow is released, it cannot be retrieved. This is a significant challenge, but I will seek guidance from Pawar Saheb."
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