Yugendra Pawar's mother alleges intimidation by Ajit camp

Tension prevailed outside a polling booth in Baramati town in Maharashtra's Pune district after Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar candidate Yugendra Pawar's mother alleged intimidation and malpractices by workers of the rival Nationalist Congress Party led by sitting MLA Ajit Pawar.

Yugendra Pawar, a grandnephew of NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar is pitted against his uncle and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a high-profile contest in the stronghold of Pawars.

Yugendra's mother, Sharmila Pawar, alleged that one of their party cadres was intimidated by the workers of the rival faction.

"When I received the information, I reached the spot and saw that some voter slips bearing the symbol of their (NCP) party were being circulated and our people were being intimidated and given death threats," she alleged.

She said a complaint will be lodged with the Election Commission in this regard.

Meanwhile, Kiran Gujar, the election-in charge of Ajit Pawar-led party in Baramati, said Sharmila Pawar is not an election official and she had no right to go inside the polling station.

"As far as voter slips bearing our party's symbol are concerned, why does the election officer of the polling station not take objection. It shows that when the system is working fairly, you are trying to defame the system," he said.

He dared the opposition to prove that the slips were distributed by them.

Ajit Pawar, who has represented the Baramati seat since 1991, also refuted the claims, and said his party workers were adhering to the election code of conduct.