Pawar vs Pawar in Baramati: NCP fields Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra against sister-in-law Supriya Sule
Mumbai, Mar 30: Baramati constituency, the home turf of Sharad Pawar, is set for a high-profile battle, with the Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday fielding Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, against her sister-in-law and the Pawar senior's daughter Supriya Sule.
In her first reaction, Sunetra Pawar, 60, said this was a lucky day for her.
"I thank Narendra Modiji, Amit Shah, and all leaders of Mahayuti (Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP) for considering me capable of fighting the election," Sunetra Pawar told a Marathi news channel.
"Voters have taken the fight in their hands," she said when asked about facing off with Sule.
The announcement of her candidature was made by Maharashtra NCP unit president Sunil Tatkare, hours after the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) declared its first list of five candidates for Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra.
The NCP(SP) retained Supriya Sule from Baramati and fielded Nilesh Lanke, who switched sides from the Ajit Pawar camp, from the Ahmednagar constituency.
Among the five names declared by the Sharad Pawar camp are sitting MP Amol Kolhe (Shirur constituency), Bhaskar Bhagre (Dindori), and former Congress MLA Amar Kale (Wardha).
Bhagre will square off against Union minister and sitting BJP MP Bharati Pawar in Dindori (ST) seat.
Lanke, the sitting MLA from Parner, will face off against BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil from the Ahmednagar constituency.
Meanwhile, Tatkare said the battle in Baramati is of ideology and principles, and not a family one
With Sunetra Pawar, a novice in electoral politics, in the field, Baramati is set to witness a first-of-its-kind Pawar versus Pawar battle, post the split in the party founded by the Pawar senior in 1999.
The real fight lies between Ajit Pawar, who joined the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government last July, and his uncle Sharad Pawar, a wily and battle-hardened politician.
The Baramati Lok Sabha constituency includes six assembly segments Baramati town, Indapur, Daund, Purandar, Bhor and Khadakwasla.
Bhor and Purandar assembly segments are with Congress, Baramati and Indapur were won by NCP (undivided), while BJP represents Daund and Khadakwasala.
Sharad Pawar has won the Baramati LS constituency multiple times in the past. He has a committed voter base and enjoys immense goodwill among people.
In the 2019 elections, Supriya Sule scored a hat-trick of winning the Baramati constituency as NCP nominee.
Even before Sunetra Pawar's name was formally announced, she had started campaigning and meeting various social groups.
On the other hand, to guard his home turf, Sharad Pawar recently visited the family of Congress legislator Sangram Thopte and met his father Anantrao Thopte, an old rival.
NCP (SP), part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, will contest 10 seats in Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha
Baramati goes for polls in the third phase on May 7.
For Sule, 54, this will be the first Lok Sabha election wherein the NCP cadre will be split between loyalists of the Pawar senior and Ajit Pawar.
It was Ajit, the sitting MLA from the Baramati assembly segment, who used to play a key role in Sule's victory in the past polls by ensuring that the vote bank of the Pawars remained unaffected.
Like his daughter, Sharad Pawar, 83, is also touring the constituency and holding meetings with various groups in a bid to leave nothing for chance.
While Sule is relying on voters loyal to the Pawar clan and her work as a Lok Sabha member, Ajit can draw additional support from the cadres of Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Bharatiya Janata Party.
Notably, the BJP had identified Baramati as one of the tough constituencies in the past.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate Kanchan Kul, wife of Daund MLA Rahul Kul, lost to Sule by a margin of over 1.55 lakh votes.
Ajit Pawar had dropped enough hints that Sunetra Pawar will be fielded from Baramati.
However, with Shiv Sena leader Vijay Shivtare from Pune district launching a diatribe against Ajit Pawar and throwing his hat in the poll ring to contest as an Independent, it appeared that Sule may have an advantage over Sunetra.
However, Shivtare was persuaded against contesting by CM Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
"Over 1.5 lakh votes will now be given to the clock' symbol (of NCP). An election campaign will be run with full strength. I would like to thank Ajit Dada as he was also present during the meeting (Mumbai)," Shivtare told reporters earlier in the day on Saturday.
The margin of Sule's victory in Baramati in her maiden contest for Lok Sabha in 2009 was 3,36,831 against BJP nominee Kanta Nalawade. In 2014, the margin plunged to 69,719 when Rashtriya Samaj Paksha leader Mahadev Jankar was Sule's challenger.
Jankar, a prominent leader from the Dhangar community, is now supporting the Mahayuti alliance.
In 2019, Sule's vote tally increased to 6,86,714 with a vote share of 52.63% and she won by a margin of over 1.55 lakh votes.
Sunetra is probably the second member of Ajit Pawar's family to contest the LS elections. In 2019, Ajit's son Parth contested from Maval seat in the Pune district but fell out against Shiv Sena's Shrirang Barne.
Sunetra Pawar comes from a political family in Marathwada. She is a sister of Padamsinh Patil, a former minister. Earlier with Congress, Patil later joined Sharad Pawar when the latter founded NCP in 1999.
For Ajit, the contest lies between himself and the Pawar clan. Even his younger brother Srinivas Pawar has sided with Sharad Pawar.
Winning the high-stakes battle is important for Ajit to cement his position in the Mahayuti alliance where he shares space with Shiv Sena and BJP.
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‘Operation Sindoor’ film announcement sparks backlash, director issues apology
New Delhi, May 10 (PTI): The announcement of a film based on Operation Sindoor, India’s recent military strikes in Pakistan, has sparked a major controversy and backlash, prompting the director to issue an apology.
The film, titled "Operation Sindoor", was announced on Friday night by director Uttam Maheshwari on social media. The project will be produced by Nicky Vicky Bhagnani Films and The Content Engineer.
The makers also shared a poster which featured a woman soldier wearing combat gear and holding a weapon. She is seen applying sindoor, the red vermillion worn by married Hindu women, to her hair parting.
The scene is set in a battlefield with explosions, barbed wire, military tanks, and fighter jets.
India carried out the targeted strikes on terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early Wednesday under 'Operation Sindoor', two weeks after the massacre of 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
The announcement of the movie faced backlash, with many social media users criticising its timing.
"Sharam karo yaar, war is on. (Have some shame)," said one user.
Another person wrote, "'Sindoor' or 'Operation Sindoor' should not be commercialised by corporations or the film industry (to make a movie in that title!) for profit. Legally, it may be allowed—but morally, it’s wrong. Some things deserve respect, not a chance to cash in.."
"Stop embarrassing yourself and your country," read one post.
"This is so inappropriate and uncalled for," one user posted.
One user criticised the film's team, saying that it should be boycotted.
"They can stoop to such levels of disgrace and disrespect for the nation and our armed forces soldiers' who are at the frontline sacrificing their sweat and blood. At this hour of crisis it Wasn't required at all!!!!" the post added.
Following the criticism, Maheshwari, whose past work as a filmmaker is not known, issued an apology on his Instagram Stories.
"My sincere apologies for recently announcing a film based on Operation Sindoor, inspired by the recent heroic efforts of our Indian Armed Forces. The intent was never to hurt or provoke anyone's sentiments.
"As a filmmaker, I was moved by the courage, sacrifice, and strength of our soldiers and leadership, and simply wished to bring this powerful story to light. This project was born out of deep respect and love for our nation and not for fame and monetisation," he wrote.
Maheshwari said he is aware that the timing of the movie may have caused "discomfort or pain to some".
"For that, I deeply regret. This is not just a film, it's an emotion of the entire nation and a social image of the country globally," he said, while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Our love and prayers will always be with the families of the martyrs as well as the Bravo warriors who are fighting on the border day and night to give us a new morning.
Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!" he concluded the statement.
Since the military strikes, Bollywood filmmakers and actors are scrambling to secure film titles inspired by the event.
Within just two days, over 30 title applications, including names like "Operation Sindoor", "Mission Sindoor" and "Sindoor: The Revenge", were submitted to industry bodies Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) and Western India Film Producers' Association (WIFPA).
