Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar won the Baramati assembly seat by defeating his nephew and NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar by more than one lakh votes.
Ajit Pawar won by 1,00,899 votes. Yugendra Pawar received a total of 80, 233 votes, as per the Election Commission of India.
The NCP leader contested against his nephew Yugendra Pawar, fielded by NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar from the constituency.
Five months ago, Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) had triumphed in Baramati in the Lok Sabha elections, with incumbent MP and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule defeating Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra by a margin of 1.5 lakh votes.
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Both NCP factions campaigned aggressively with Sharad Pawar's wife Pratibha Pawar and Sule's daughter Revati campaigning for Yugendra, while Ajit Pawar's mother appeared on stage during the concluding rally in Baramati.
While Sharad Pawar told the people of Baramati that they needed a new leadership, pointing to Yugendra Pawar whom he described as a highly-educated candidate, Ajit Pawar cautioned people not to fall prey to the "emotional pitch".
Mahayuti alliance won over 225 seats out of the 288 seats in the state assembly.
The BJP has crossed the 130-mark, improving its tally by 25 seats. The Maharashtra results give supremacy to the BJP within the Mahayuti alliance.
After the big win, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, people have rejected the politics of hatred and revenge and accepted the politics of welfare and development.
Amid CM rumours, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, the architect of his party's stunning victory said, “Leaders of Mahayuti parties will decide (on next CM).”
"Today's verdict shows that the entire community stands united behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 'ek hain toh safe hai' slogan has been a success, particularly for ladki bahins (dear sisters) who benefit from this scheme, receiving Rs 1,500 per month," he said.
In the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the BJP contested 149 assembly seats, the Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in 59 constituencies. In the MVA combine, the Congress fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena(UBT) 95 and the NCP(SP) 86.