Sunetra Pawar Faction Routs Rivals In Baramati Cooperative Election
The election was the first major cooperative-sector contest since Ajit Pawar’s demise. It was widely viewed as a test of Sunetra Pawar’s ability to retain her family’s influence over Baramati’s co-operative institutions.
Mumbai: In the first high-stakes electoral showdown between the Pawars since Ajit Pawar’s death, the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national president Sunetra Pawar dealt a crushing blow to its rivals, sweeping all 21 seats in the election to the Someshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory in Pune district.
Widely seen as a key test of Sunetra Pawar’s leadership, the fiercely contested cooperative poll saw her camp decisively defeat rival panels backed by Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) faction, along with independent rebel candidates. The election witnessed a three-way contest involving the panel backed by Sunetra Pawar, the Someshwar Shetkari Vikas Panel led by Yugendra Pawar and the rebel group headed by Purushottam Jagtap, who contested independently of the NCP faction he had previously been associated with.
Someshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory, situated in the Pawar family stronghold of Baramati, historically serves as a crucial base for rural political organizing and agricultural network management. The victory is particularly significant for Sunetra Pawar’s camp as it successfully neutralized a high-stakes challenge from Jagtap, a long-time 34-year associate of Ajit Pawar who broke ranks to align with opposition figures for this poll.
The election was the first major cooperative-sector contest since Ajit Pawar’s demise. It was widely viewed as a test of Sunetra Pawar’s ability to retain her family’s influence over Baramati’s co-operative institutions.
Following the election, Sunetra Pawar remarked that the landslide is a direct recognition of the 34 years of grassroots work put into the cooperative sector by her late husband, Ajit Pawar.
“Dada (Ajit Pawar) always believed that farmers should get a good price for their agricultural produce and that every farmer should be happy and prosperous,” she said.
Ajit Pawar had worked for 35 years for the Someshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory. This year, the factory offered one of the highest sugarcane prices in the country, bringing relief to farmers in the region, she said.
“This victory is the result of the work Dada has done over the years. The farmers here have honoured his efforts by extending their support,” Sunetra Pawar said.