Lok Sabha elections 2024: Constitution needs to be safeguarded to ensure peace and brotherhood, says Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar. Pic/PTI

Ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, opposition stalwart Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the country's Constitution needs to be safeguarded in order to ensure peace and brotherhood, reported news agency PTI.

Speaking at an Iftar gathering, the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief said some people from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have routinely spoken about making changes in the Constitution.

"Such comments are worrisome. If there is peace, there is no need to worry unlike in countries in the neighbourhood where governments destroyed democracy to favour an individual. Such a situation should never befall our nation," Sharad Pawar said, reported PTI.

"There is an undeclared Emergency in the country. A chief minister is in jail and many others are facing similar situation. We have to face this situation by staying united," he said ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported PTI.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant, who has been renominated from Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat, and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad were present at the event.

Meanwhile, the Baramati seat in Pune district on Saturday took centre stage in Maharashtra's Lok Sabha battle after the Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the Nationalist Congress Party announced their candidates and made it into a 'Pawar versus Pawar' affair, reported PTI.

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has renominated three-time MP Supriya Sule, who is the NCP founder's daughter, while her opponent will be debutant Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, reported PTI.

Sule and Ajit Pawar are cousins and Sunetra Pawar is the sitting MP's sister-in-law.

Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government on July 2 last year, resulting in a split in the NCP.

The Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, which comprises Baramati, Indapur, Daund, Purandar, Bhor and Khadakwasla assembly seats, has been a bastion of Sharad Pawar since the 1960s.

Ajit Pawar has been MLA from Baramati since 1991, with his victory in 2019 being among the most crushing in the state's poll history.

He garnered 83 per cent of the vote share and defeated the BJP's Gopichand Padalkar by a whopping 1,65,000 votes.

(With inputs from PTI)