How Sharad Pawar is fortifying Maha Vikas Aghadi ahead of polls

In a big blow to the BJP in western Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Dhairyashil Mohite Patil, the nephew of former Deputy Chief Minister Vijaysinh Mohite, has quit the party and announced his decision to join the Sharad Pawar-led National Congress Party (NCP).

Mohite is expected to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Madha constituency, challenging the incumbent MP and BJP leader Ranjeetsinh Nimbalkar.

Mohite Patil, who was the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Solapur district, tendered his resignation in a letter dated April 10 to party's state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule citing personal reasons.

A day earlier, Sharad Pawar had also announced that Mohite Patil will join his party in the presence of its state unit president Jayant Patil.

SHARAD PAWAR BRIDGING POLITICAL DIVIDE

With the Lok Sabha polls looming, Sharad Pawar has embarked on a mission to bridge old political rivalries, a strategy evident in his efforts to unite figures like Mohite from Solapur and former Chief Minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan from Satara.

Despite the split within the NCP, Sharad Pawar is actively seeking to consolidate support by initiating dialogue with key leaders like former minister Anantrao Thopte, his arch-rival, to ensure his daughter Supriya Sule's victory on Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency. The efforts underscore the growing strength of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the western region ahead of the elections.

Thopte, a nonagenarian, had secured the Bhor Assembly seat – a part of Baramati Lok Sabha constituency – six times before losing in 1999.

MVA'S FRESH FACE STRATEGY

Alongside the politics of sums, Sharad Pawar started drawing new equation by giving fresh faces to the MVA, including Shashikant Shinde, Nilesh Lanke and Dhairyashil Mohite.

Additionally, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has provided platforms for emerging leaders such as Chandrahar Patil from Sangli, Shahu Chhatrapati of Kolhapur, and Praniti Shinde from Solapur, offering a new narrative in the western districts.

PAWAR'S WESTERN MAHARASHTRA GAME

Sharad Pawar's strategic manoeuvring in Western Maharashtra is evident in his efforts to contest a significant number of constituencies in the region. With candidates like Supriya Sule in Baramati and Amol Kolhe in Shirur, Pawar's influence extends to candidates from Satara, Madha, and Ahmednagar, many of whom are contesting Lok Sabha elections for the first time.

Meanwhile, the ruling Mahayuti coalition -- comprising BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) -- is relying on familiar names like RanjeetSinh Nimbalkar, Sujay Vikhe Patil, Sadashiv Mandalik, and Darishsheel Mane.

PAWAR AND MOHITE FAMILY TRUCE

The upset caused by the ticket declaration of Nimbalkar has led to a surprising political reconciliation between traditional rivals, the Pawar and Mohite families. Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, a prominent Maratha leader from Solapur, has found common ground with Pawar, underscoring the shifting alliances within the political landscape.

WHO IS REAL PAWAR?

As the political game heats up in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar faces a challenge from within his own ranks. Nephew Ajit Pawar-led NCP has sought to counter the sympathy wave towards Sharad Pawar by emphasising the Pawar legacy and urging voters to support 'Pawar' on the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Ajit Pawar had recently asked people to vote for his wife Sunetra Pawar in the Lok Sabha polls as they had "voted for the father (Sharad Pawar), son (himself) and daughter (sitting MP Supriya Sule)".

In response, Sharad Pawar has posed a compelling question: "Who is the real Pawar?"

"One is the original Pawar (referring to daughter Sule) and the other Pawar is coming from outside," Sharad Pawar said reacting to his nephew's pitch to the voters in Baramati.