Someshwar factory polls: Sunetra Pawar's panel leads in all 21 seats

The 'Someshwar Vikas Purush Ajitdada Pawar Panel', led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, appears to be heading for a one-sided victory in the election of the Shri Someshwar Sahakari sugar factory in Baramati taluka. Results available till 6 pm on Monday (the 12th) indicate a win on all 21 of 21 seats. If the trend holds till the end, the panel will have unchallenged control of the factory.

The 'Lokneta Ajit Dada Pawar Someshwar Vikas Panel', led by the factory's current chairman Purushottam Jagtap, and the 'Shri Someshwar Vikas Panel', headed by Yugendra Pawar, have fallen well behind. This has dealt a heavy blow to Jagtap's claim of bringing change.

Counting began with the 'B' class institutional representatives constituency. Here Sangram Sorte of the NCP-backed panel got 93 of 133 votes and defeated Advocate Mahesh Rane. NCP workers celebrated afterwards. However, as a year has not yet passed since the death of the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajitdada Pawar, they refrained from throwing gulal and bursting firecrackers.

In the Nimbut-Khandala constituency of Group No. 1, Pramod Kakde, Abhijit Kakde and Dr Vasantrao Dagde won by a margin of more than 8,500 votes. In the Murum-Walhe constituency of Group No. 2, former factory chairman Rajvardhan Shinde, Vikram Bhosale and Hrishikesh Gaikwad won by 6,572 votes. Dr Dagde had the backing of Purandar MLA Vijay Shivtare.

The election saw 84 per cent polling. The factory's area of operation extends over Baramati, Purandar and Khandala and Phaltan in Satara district, and there were 83 candidates in the fray. Purushottam Jagtap had set up a separate panel at the last moment, while Yugendra Pawar also mounted an independent challenge. Jagtap's panel was supported by former BJP MLA Sanjay Jagtap. MLA Vijay Shivtare backed Sunetra Pawar's panel.

As the election was a matter of prestige, Sunetra Pawar, MP Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar camped in Baramati to keep the campaign machinery active. Following Ajitdada's strategy, the NCP brought office-bearers and workers together. It had been estimated that five to six candidates of the opposing panels would win, but the counting trend tilted in the NCP's favour.

By 6 pm, results for the first two groups and the 'B' class constituency had been declared. Counting of the rest is delayed, so the process was likely to continue beyond midnight.