With the Baramati Assembly by-election approaching in two weeks, Supriya Sule, the working president of the NCP(SP) and a Member of Parliament, declined to comment on whether she would support her sister-in-law, Sunetra Pawar, who is running for Deputy Chief Minister. Sule stated, “I cannot provide any information at this time, as there has been no discussion regarding this matter,” when asked about her potential campaign involvement for Sunetra, whose candidacy follows the passing of Sule’s cousin, Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash on January 28 in Baramati.
Sunetra assumed the role of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra following the tragic death of her husband. Earlier that day, Rohit Pawar, Sule’s nephew and party associate, met with Harshavardhan Sapkal, the state Congress president, to request that the Congress party withdraw its candidate from the electoral race.
Addressing this meeting, Sule noted that Rohit had apologized for a recent comment made by Congress regarding Parth Pawar. “Both Sharad Pawar, my father, and Ajit Pawar began their political careers with Congress. Rohit has taken a commendable approach by reaching out to the state Congress leader to apologize for the earlier statement,” she remarked.
In the 2024 elections, Sunetra, representing the NCP, faced a significant defeat against Sule from a rival faction of the party during the Baramati Lok Sabha elections. However, the NCP(SP) had hoped for an uncontested Baramati Assembly by-election in honor of Ajit Pawar’s legacy.
While in Pune on Thursday to assess infrastructure projects, Sule emphasized that her party had decided not to field a candidate in the Baramati elections as a tribute to Ajit Pawar, who had been a long-time representative of the constituency.
When asked about offering advice to her nephew Parth Pawar, who is set to take an oath as a Rajya Sabha member, Sule said, “I do not offer advice unless it is requested. I do not consider myself in a position to give advice. Nevertheless, I extend my best wishes to everyone who will be taking the Rajya Sabha oath today.”
Sule commended Rohit for his efforts in pursuing an investigation into Ajit Pawar’s untimely death. “Rohit Pawar has been the most proactive in following up on the circumstances surrounding Ajit Pawar’s accidental death. We also raised this issue in Parliament and anticipated a discussion in the state Assembly, which unfortunately did not occur,” she stated.
According to Sule, Rohit sought the Congress party’s assistance in filing a First Information Report (FIR) regarding Ajit Pawar’s death, which was accomplished in Karnataka. “Rohit and the Congress party played a crucial role in obtaining information about the accident and ensuring that an FIR was registered for further investigation,” she added.
She highlighted Rohit’s unique position in bringing attention to Ajit Pawar’s death at both local and national levels.
