BARAMATI, 6 NOV. The Baramati Municipal Council elections have been announced, and they mark the first time the election is being held following the split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). This year, a fierce contest is expected between the panel led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP faction and the alliance formed by Sharad Pawar's NCP faction and a local front. For the last 25 years, the Baramati Municipal Council has been governed under the leadership of Ajit Pawar, who took over the responsibility from Sharad Pawar. In the 2016 elections, a united NCP won a dominant 35 out of 39 seats. This time, the battle is internal and intense. Ajit Pawar's faction holds significant power in Baramati, and names like his son, Jay Pawar, along with others such as Kiran Gujar and Jaysing Deshmukh, are being considered for the Mayor's post, with the final decision resting with Ajit Pawar. On the other side, Sharad Pawar's NCP faction, which retains some strength in Baramati, is expected to form a local alliance potentially including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). This alliance is poised to make the elections competitive across some of the 20 wards. The election will select 20 ward corporators and the Mayor will be directly elected by the public.

000