Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, NCP candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar cast their votes in the constituency on Tuesday morning.
Voting began at 7 am for the third phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, including Baramati, where NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule , faces Sunetra Pawar.
Sharad Pawar was greeted with the traditional ‘aarti’ as he reached a polling booth in Malegaon area of Baramati constituency in Pune district.
The veteran politician stood in line before casting his vote at the booth. He later left for his residence at Govindbaug, near Baramati.
Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar cast their votes at a polling booth in Katewadi area of Baramati.
The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for elections in Baramati, where there are more than 23 lakh eligible voters.
Talking to reporters after casting his vote for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Pawar, the estranged nephew of Sharad Pawar, said that he has maintained that it is not a contest between family members, but the other party is propagating that It’s about the family and trying to prove that they are together against him, PTI reported.
“I want to make it clear that the oldest member of the Pawar family is my mother Ashatai Anantrao Pawar, who is with me and all three of us today exercised our right to vote,” he said, PTI reported.
Refuting NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar’s allegation of distribution of money in Bhor area of Baramati constituency, the deputy CM said that it is the task of the Election Commission to investigate such things, PTI reported.
“I have personally participated in elections seven times and have never committed such practices. Since the beginning of the campaign, some sections of the opposition have been making such accusations against me, but I do not pay attention to them,” he said. PTI reported.
The person making such accusations “has lost his balance,” said the PCN leader.
“I don’t think I should give any importance to a person like that,” he said.
Ajit Pawar said that the opposition leaders have perceived a “different” result and that is why they are making such accusations out of desperation, PTI reported.
Talking to reporters this morning, Rohit Pawar alleged that money power was being used in the Bhor segment of Baramati constituency to woo voters through the ‘Ajit dada Mitra mandal’.
He claimed that a cooperative bank in Bhor had to remain open until midnight and it could be due to Tuesday’s elections.
Rohit Pawar alleged that Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 were being distributed per voter and the cooperative bank was being used for the purpose.
Besides Baramati, elections are being held in 10 other Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
(With input from PTI)