Supriya Sule says fielding Sunetra Pawar against her is "BJP's dirty politics"

Pune, Maharashtra: Supriya Sule, the leader of NCP (Sharad Chandra Pawar), claimed that the BJP had planned to pit her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar against her in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in an attempt to remove the party chief.

She said, "My fight is not against a person, but their mindset and policies. You have witnessed me in politics for the past 18 years; I have never made any personal comment on anyone."

Sule said Sunetra Pawar is the wife of her "elder brother and the elder sister-in-law is considered a mother."

"It's dirty politics by the BJP. Sunetra Pawar, being my elder brother's wife, holds a special place in the family as the "vahini" (in Marathi) elder sister-in-law and she is a mother figure for me, but she has been given to contest against me just to create a rift in the family, and the BJP is behind all this. It's a conspiracy of the BJP, which is aimed at finishing off the name of Pawar Saheb (Sharad Pawar); they have nothing to do with the development etc of the constituency," she added, ANI reported.

Meanwhile, Sunetra Pawar said after the announcement as the official candidate from the Grand Alliance for the Baramati seat, "Today is a huge day for me. I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar for showing faith in me."

Following the announcement of candidates from the Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad and Ajit Pawar factions, the Baramati seat in Pune district has developed into a crucial battleground in Maharashtra's Lok Sabha election, transforming it into a "Pawar versus Pawar" race.

Ajit Pawar, a successful MLA from Baramati since 1991, is said to have had a significant impact on the Vidhan sabha seats of Indapur, Daund, Purandar, Bhor, and Khadakwasla, which are all included in the Baramati Lok Sabha. Sharad Pawar has held the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency since the 1960s.

It is the third time that Supriya Sule is running for this seat, and this election will mark Sunetra Pawar's entry into politics.

Maharashtra's Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to take place in five stages on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. On June 4, the votes will be counted.

After Uttar Pradesh, the state contributes the second-highest number of seats to the lower house of Parliament with 48 Lok Sabha seats. Maharashtra, a state well-known for its political diversity and substantial electoral clout, is vital to the formation of national politics.

With 23 seats, the BJP won the most seats in the 2019 elections, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 seats.