Maharashtra Election 2024: In Ajit Pawar's Baramati Nomination, A Strategic 'Women' Card Move

Maharashtra Election 2024: With around three weeks left for the Maharashtra assembly election voting, the candidates are filing their nominations while intensifying their voter outreach. NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Monday filed his nomination papers from the Baramati assembly seat. However, in a tactical move, three common women accompanied the Deputy Chief Minister to the nomination office. 

It's common for senior political leaders to accompany their counterparts to the nomination, but Ajit Pawar tried to make it a strategic move by taking together women who are beneficiaries of the state government's newly introduced 'Ladki Bahini Yojana'. Under the scheme, eligible women would receive Rs 1,500 per month in their bank accounts. In Maharashtra, there are over 4.66 crore female voters out of which over 2 crore are eligible for the direct benefit transfer under the scheme. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadhi has termed the scheme an eyewash saying that announcement just before the election shows it's just a political gimmick. The opposition has said that the Mahayuti government is trying to cover up its failure by doling out freebies.

माझ्यावरील दृढ विश्वास, नितांत प्रेम तुमच्या आनंदी चेहऱ्यातून झळकते..! भक्कम पाठबळ देहबोलीतून व्यक्त होते..!

कृतज्ञ माझ्या भगिनींनो, मायमाऊलींनो..!

आज, माझ्या लाडक्या बहिणींच्या साक्षीनं बारामती विधानसभा मतदारसंघातून उमेदवारी अर्ज भरला.#दादांची_बारामती pic.twitter.com/IlC0xdIqMB — Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) October 28, 2024

Ahead of filing nomination, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP candidate from Baramati assembly seat Ajit Pawar held a roadshow and exuded confidence saying that the people of Baramati will give him a mandate this time as well. Ajit Pawar is locked in a political battle against his nephew and grandson of Sharad Pawar, Yugendra Pawar. 

"Everyone has the right to contest. Whenever any candidate is fielded against me I take them as a strong candidate and campaign accordingly. This time too the people of Baramati will elect me and I have faith in them," said Pawar.

Baramati will see another Pawar versus Pawar contest after Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar, defeated Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, during the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. Ajit Pawar split the NCP in June 2023.

Speaking to ANI, when asked about contesting the election against his uncle, who has won this seat seven times, Yugendra Pawar said that he feels it is quite sad and quite unfortunate.
"I feel it is quite sad, quite unfortunate that this had to come in the family. Not in 

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23. In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42. (With ANI inputs)