Bar Pawar’s stay in Baramati during polls: BJP to EC

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has written to the Election Commission of India (EC), asking it not to allow NCP chief Sharad Pawar to stay in Baramati after the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls is over in that constituency.

Mr Pawar is a resident of Mumbai and he has been seen canvassing for his daughter Supriya Sule even after the campaign ended, the party claimed.

In a complaint, BJP leader Chandrakant Patil has written to the ECI that Mr Pawar is not a resident of Baramati. His official address is in Mumbai and hence, he should not stay in Baramati during voting Tuesday.

Mr Pawar in his tweet also said, “The BJP has complained to the EC saying that I should not be allowed to stay in Baramati after the campaign is over. After the rally, I had no event in Baramati. But I have my home and farm in Baramati. Everyone knows that I vote in Mumbai.”

The polling for the Baramati seat took place Tuesday, while the campaign came to an end Sunday. In Baramati, Ms Sule has been locked in a close contest with BJP nominee Kanchan Kul. Mr Pawar’s daughter has won the Baramati seat twice consecutively. But in 2014, her victory margin came down drastically to 69,000 votes, from her mammoth 3.36 lakh victory margin in 2009.

Commenting on BJP’s complaint, senior party leader Vinod Tawde said, “Mr Pawar has his residence at Silver Oak in Mumbai and he hardly goes to Baramati. Even after the campaign was over, he stayed put in Baramati and has been insisting that people help his daughter in the polls. It shows that Ms Sule is facing a hard time in Baramati. Hence, we have decided to lodge a complaint with the EC.”

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