Ajit Pawar our 'captain', will contest from his current assembly seat Baramati: Chhagan Bhujbal

Chhagan Bhujbal. File Pic

Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday called the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar as the "captain" of the party and emphasised he would contest the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 from Baramati, his home turf in Pune district in Maharashtra, reported the PTI.

Chhagan Bhujbal's assertion came a day after Ajit Pawar suggested Baramati should get a new MLA so that the constituency's voters realise his importance.

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The NCP president is the sitting MLA from Baramati, which is part of the Lok Sabha seat of the same name which is represented by his cousin Supriya Sule of the NCP (SP) faction led by veteran politician Sharad Pawar.

Speaking at a gathering in Baramati on Sunday, Ajit Pawar remarked that despite undertaking extensive development works in the constituency, voters did not support him during the recent Lok Sabha elections, where his wife Sunetra was pitted against Sule, who won for the fourth consecutive times, as per the PTI.

Sunetra Pawar lost the elections to Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar, by more than 1.50 lakh votes.

Ajit Pawar said once there is a new representative, the people of the Baramati assembly constituency will realise his importance.

Asked about the possibility of the NCP president not seeking re-election from Baramati, his party colleague and minister Bhujbal asserted, "Ajit Pawar is our captain.

He can not put down weapons like this. He will contest from the Baramati assembly constituency and win with a huge margin."

Assembly polls in Maharashtra are likely to be held in November.

The NCP is part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, which also consists of the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Nationalist Congress Party chief has been MLA of Baramati since 1991, with his victory in the 2019 assembly polls, over the BJP's Gopichand Padalkar, coming with a record margin of 1.65 lakh votes.

Speaking at an event in his assembly constituency, he said, "We have done all round development in Baramati. Most funds in Maharashtra are sanctioned for Baramati. I am now 65 years old and I am satisfied. Baramatikars once should get someone other than me as an MLA. They can then make comparison between me and the new MLA," according to the PTI.

(with PTI inputs)