War of words over ‘bogus’ voting between Sharad Pawar faction and Ajit Pawar group in Baramati

Baramati, Nov 20 (IANS) Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Ajit Pawar faction on Wednesday engaged in a war of words over the 'bogus' voting in Maharashtra’s Baramati constituency. Ajit Pawar is pitted against his nephew and NCP-SP nominee Yugendra Pawar and it has eventually turned out to be a fight between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar after Lok Sabha elections.  

Yugendra Pawar’s mother Sharmila Pawar, who was moving in the constituency to take stock of the polling, targeted the Ajit Pawar faction for allegedly promoting bogus voting. However, Ajit Pawar has strongly denied charges levelled by his sister-in-law Sharmila Pawar, in connection with bogus voting and issuing threats by his polling agents. 

Sharmila Pawar alleged that bogus voting took place in Baramati, a hotly contested constituency in the state. 

‘’We have filed a police complaint against bogus voting. At one polling station, voters are threatened. One person came and sat where voting was underway and asked another person if he voted. He was sending some signal to which we objected,’’ she added. 

Yugendra Pawar’s aunt and NCP-SP Mp Supriya Sule said she will inquire about the matter and give her reaction. 

However, Ajit Pawar hit back at Sharmila Pawar saying that her allegations of bogus voting and issuing threats by his polling agents was completely false. ‘’There are CCTV cameras. We have conducted so many elections but our workers have never used any language to threaten someone. Our ideology is that of Shivaji, Shahu, Phule, Ambedkar and we will never do that,’’ he said.

He appealed to the voters to cast their vote and increase the turnout. 

‘’If the complaint has been filed the Election Commission and Police will investigate. There was no bogus voting anywhere in Baramati constituency,’’ he said.

For both the Sharad Pawar faction and Ajit Pawar group, the Baramati assembly is quite crucial to retain their supremacy. Sharad Pawar led NCP outsmarted Ajit Pawar faction when Supriya Sule defeated Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar in the general elections from Baramati. 

However, with Pawar senior's decision to nominate Yugendra Pawar, who is Ajit Pawar's nephew, the fight has become more bitter between the two factions. Ajit Pawar, who had won the 2019 assembly elections, with a record margin, had to strive to retain the seat while Yugendra Pawar during his electoral debut banked on grandfather and party supremo Sharad Pawar's legacy for his victory.