Former Shiv Sena MLA Vijay Shivtare on Wednesday said he will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Baramati, the Pawar family's home turf in Pune district, as an independent candidate and hit out at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, calling him arrogant.
Shivtare, whose party Shiv Sena is an ally of the ruling NCP, which is led by Ajit Pawar, announced his candidature from the 'Namo Vichar Manch' platform and presented himself as the "voice of common voters" of the prestigious Lok Sabha constituency currently represented by three-time MP Supriya Sule.
Notably, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) head Sharad Pawar recently said his daughter, Lok Sabha MP Sule, would be his party's candidate from Baramati, amid speculation that his nephew Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra could be fielded from there.
Ajit Pawar is the NCP MLA from the Baramati assembly seat.
Baramati is a political stronghold of the Pawars.
Talking to PTI, Shivtare, who represented the Purandar assembly seat in Baramati before facing defeat in 2019, said he was firm on his decision to contest as an independent candidate representing the "voice of common voters" of the high-profile constituency in Pune district.
"(Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena head) Eknath Shinde is my leader and I will make him understand my stand (on contesting from Baramati)," he said.
Shivtare said he has not been approached by any political leader over his decision to contest from Baramati.
He claimed that seven lakh persons voted in the favour of the Pawars, but 5.8 lakh persons did not support anyone from the powerful family in the last assembly and Lok Sabha elections (held in 2019).
The Pawar family is winning from the constituency for the last 41 years but development is centred around Baramati city only, said the former legislator.
Nearly two lakh residents of the Supa-Pargana area in western Baramati have been facing water scarcity, Shivtare claimed.
The former MLA, who belongs to the Shiv Sena-led by CM Shinde, said he had got a Rs 118 crore water supply scheme sanctioned for Fursingi and Devachi Urli villages (near Purandar in Baramati), having a combined population of 4.5 lakh, and required Rs 25 crore more.
"I have been asking for the money since 2019, but did not get it. But Ajit Pawar (sitting MLA from Baramati) had sanctioned Rs 7 crore for a bus stand in Baramati," he said.
Shivtare claimed that Indapur, Bhor, Daund, Purandar and Khadakwasala assembly segments (falling under Baramati Lok Sabha seat) have not got any central or state government projects.
Asked about Ajit Pawar's statement in 2019 that he will see to it that Shivtare doesn't become a MLA again, the former legislator said he has "forgiven" the NCP leader.
Sanjay Jagtap of the Congress defeated Shivtare from Purandar in 2019.
In Pune, Shivtare said time has come to "curtail Ajit Pawar's arrogance".
After announcing his candidature, the Shiv Sena leader held a series of meetings in Saswad in Pune district with this supporters.
Addressing a press conference, Shivtare hit out at Ajit Pawar and called him arrogant.
"I congratulated Ajit Pawar when he joined (in July 2023) 'Mahayuti' (state's ruling alliance), but his arrogance has not diminished. He joined the alliance for self-growth and now it's time to curtail Ajit Pawar's arrogance. There are more than 5.50 lakh voters who are against the Pawars. These voters don't want to vote for any member of the Pawar family," he claimed.
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