Last updated:November 23, 2024, 2:53 PM IST

Maharashtra Election 2024: For Ajit Pawar, it is the beginning of a new era. For Sharad Pawar, it is the twilight hour, one that can hasten his solemn walk into the sunset

Ajit Pawar parted ways with uncle Sharad Pawar in 2023, splitting the NCP into two. (PTI)

The mood in the rival NCP camps is as different as night and day today. For Ajit Pawarit is the beginning of a new era, one where his electoral value is finally established unlike the Pawar dynasty. For Sharad Pawar, it is the twilight hour, one that can hasten his solemn walk into the sunset.

In their first election clash since a bitter family split, Ajit Pawar has decisively prevailed over his uncle, heading to victory in 36 of the 59 seats contested by his party. That’s a strike rate of 61.02%. In comparison, Sharad Pawar suffered the worst performance of his political career, with his faction leading in just 15 of the 86 seats it contested, with a dismal strike rate of 17.44%.

With incumbent Eknath Shinde saying the Mahayuti alliance is yet to decide on its chief ministerial choice, Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar has even thrown out her husband’s name.

“It is a very happy day for Ajit dadaNCP, for public and Baramati. I thank the people of Baramati for extending their support to Ajit dada. This is the victory of the people of Baramati… I want the same thing (Ajit Pawar to be CM) that the public wants,” she said.

However, with the BJP surpassing expectations with leads and wins in 130 seats, there is speculation that Devendra Fadnavis may return as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

While both national focal points came third in their respective alliances, the implications for them and their political successors are quite different. This was the first election after both the Shiv Sena and the NCP suffered a vertical split, but in the case of the latter, it was also a family split in two.

Voters in Baramati constituency had a front-row seat to this budding family feud this time, with Ajit Pawar pitted against his nephew Yugendra Pawar, who had the entire Sharad Pawar clan behind him. Yugendra, a political debutant, is the son of Ajit Pawar’s younger brother. The intensity of the contest could be gauged from the fact that Sharad Pawar’s wife Pratibha, who generally stays away from politics, and Supriya Sule’s daughter Revati also worked for Yugendra.

Ajit Pawar, who split from uncle Sharad Pawar in 2023 and split the party, visited as many villages as possible and highlighted the development he brought about in the region over the past three decades. The voters chose ‘Pawar saheb’ over him in the Lok Sabha elections but they should support him this time, Ajit Pawar told the voters.

Notably, neither the leaders of NCP ally BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena nor the leaders of NCP (SP) ally Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) visited Baramati for campaigning.

Asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not hold a meeting for him, Ajit Pawar said there was no need as it was a competition within the family.

And Ajit Pawar has decisively won that contest.

Place:

Maharashtra, India