Sharad Pawar’s stature in Maharashtra politics and INDIA alliance is like Bhishma Pitamah.
He is the most senior and powerful leader of this alliance, but there is a possibility of Pawar’s power reducing in the 2024 elections.
In 2019, BJP had won 23 out of 25 seats and Shiv Sena, which fought with it, had also won 18 seats. Whereas NCP had won only 4 seats, one of which is Baramati, which has been Sharad Pawar’s stronghold.
At present his daughter Supriya Sule is the MP from here. Five years have passed since then, but the crisis facing Sharad Pawar’s NCP has increased instead of decreasing.
There have been many changes in the politics of Maharashtra in the last 5 years and Shiv Sena, which fought with BJP, is now divided.
One faction is in the INDIA alliance under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, while the other faction is in the government of Eknath Shinde. NCP has also divided and Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar has also become Deputy CM.
In this way, half of Shiv Sena has come into INDIA alliance and half of NCP has also left. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see which camp’s NCP and which faction’s Shiv Sena the voters prefer in the elections.
Ajit Pawar also intrudes in Baramati, BJP says it will field candidates
Sharad Pawar’s problem is that his nephew is part of the Maharashtra government along with 30 out of 53 MLAs. He has had a big impact in Baramati itself.
In such a situation, this NCP stronghold seat is also in danger due to the breakdown and it is possible that Sharad Pawar’s supremacy may break here too. BJP has talked about fielding a candidate here, which has always been the main rival here.
In such a situation, it would be difficult if the nephew himself comes out in support of the BJP candidate against Sharad Pawar’s party.
BJP has a good support base in the urban areas of Maharashtra, while NCP has been called a party of rural areas. This time, Ajit Pawar camp can help BJP in rural areas also.
What will happen in rural areas, Sharad Pawar has been strong?
However, Sharad Pawar is continuously visiting rural areas and reiterating the crisis facing farmers. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see what the strength of NCP remains compared to 2019. Well, the crisis will be more for BJP and Eknath Shinde.
On one hand BJP would like to repeat its victory of 23 seats while on the other hand it will be difficult for Eknath Shinde faction. A united Shiv Sena had won 18 seats in 2019.
Now if divisions and sentiments are seen in it with Uddhav Thackeray, then it will be difficult for Eknath Shinde. In this way, the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra will be an election that will decide the future of NCP, Shiv Sena as well as many leaders.