Baramati: I am fighting Dharma Yuddha to end dictatorship of the Pawars: Vijay Shivtare

Baramati: In what could be a potentially damaging statement for the ruling Maha Yuti in the State, former State Minister and Shiv Sena (BT) leader Vijay Shivtare on Sunday reiterated his resolve to contest the Lok Sabha election from Baramati.

He said, “It is my Dharma Yuddha to end the dictatorship of the Pawar family from Baramati. Hence, I will not withdraw from this fight. I will file my nomination papers as an independent on April 12.”

Sunetra Pawar, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is most likely to contest against NCP (SP) sitting MP Supriya Sule from the Baramati LS constituency. Shivtare had earlier said that nobody possesses the 7/12 extract of Baramati (it is not a fiefdom of the Pawars). Even after being reprimanded by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Shivtare has been insisting that he will file his nominations. He also met former Congress minister Anantrao Thopte, for whom Sharad Pawar had purportedly put hurdles in the path of becoming the chief minister in the past.

Shivtare claimed that Sunetra Pawar would lose in the election. He was ready to contest on the BJP poll symbol. In this backdrop, Shivtare took a stance against his own party and leader and announced his intention to enter the fray. He held a meeting of office-bearers from the six talukas under the constituency.