Union minister Sitharaman on 3-day visit to Baramati in Maharashtra from today

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will embark on a three-day tour of Baramati Lok Sabha segment in Maharashtra from Thursday as a part of the BJP's 'Pravas' campaign to strengthen the organisation in 144 Lok Sabha constituencies in the country.

Pune:Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will embark on a three-day tour of Baramati Lok Sabha segment in Maharashtra from Thursday as a part of the BJP's 'Pravas' campaign to strengthen the organisation in 144 Lok Sabha constituencies in the country. The BJP has launched a campaign to boost the party's base in 144 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country including Baramati and 15 other seats in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra has a total of 48 Lok Sabha seats. During the three-day visit to NCP chief Sharad Pawar's stronghold, Sitharaman is scheduled to visit all six Assembly segments - Baramati, Purandar, Indapur, Daund, Bhor and Khadakwasla - which come under the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, a BJP leader said.

Pawar's daughter and NCP leader Supriya Sule is currently the Lok Sabha member from Baramati. During the 'Pravas' campaign, Sitharaman will meet BJP cadres, hold meetings with the party's district office- bearers and also interact with the core committee members of the Lok Sabha constituency, a party functionary said.

The minister, in a bid to prepare the ground for the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, is also expected to interact with beneficiaries of several government schemes, traders, voters and people from various fields. There are 21 programmes scheduled during Sitharaman's three-day tour, the BJP functionary said. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule had earlier this month toured the constituency and interacted with BJP cadres.

He had said the BJP launched a programme to reach out to every voter in 16 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state including Baramati. He had said the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena combine will win 45 Lok Sabha seats in the state including Baramati in the 2024 polls. Baramati in Pune district has been the stronghold of Sharad Pawar who represented the constituency multiple times, including when he was in the Congress.

His nephew Ajit Pawar is also an MLA from Baramati. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had fielded Kanchan Kul against NCP's Supriya Sule. (PTI)