Sunetra Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has officially requested the Congress party’s support for an unopposed by-election in the Baramati assembly segment, which she intends to contest. However, the Congress party appears determined to nominate its own candidate rather than granting her appeal for unopposed status.

On Sunday, Pawar communicated with Harshwardhan Sapkal, the Maharashtra Congress chief, urging him to facilitate an unopposed election. Yet, reports indicate that the Congress leadership is unwilling to support her request and plans to submit nomination papers for its candidate. The deadline for nominations is Monday, and sources indicate that Congress will present Akash More as their contender in the by-poll.

Akash More, who previously contested the seat in the 2014 elections, is the son of former Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Vijay Rao More. Representing the Dhangar community, he is among the primary candidates for the seat. Alongside him, Youth Congress leader Vaibhav Gurunghale, also from the Dhangar community, is competing for the nomination. Other potential candidates include Advocate Rohit Bankar and Dr Archana Patil, a local radiologist.

Shiv Sena’s Response Remains Unclear

On the eve of her request to the Congress party, Sunetra Pawar also reached out to Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), seeking his support for the by-election scheduled for April 23. Thackeray, who leads a faction within the opposition alliance, the Maha Vikas Aghadi, has not publicly clarified the stance of his party regarding her appeal.

The by-election has arisen following the untimely passing of Ajit Pawar, Sunetra’s husband and prior Deputy Chief Minister, in a plane crash during January. The Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP announced its decision not to contest the by-poll as a tribute to Ajit Pawar, who had previously held the Baramati seat.

Currently serving as a member of the Rajya Sabha, Sunetra Pawar is poised to file her nomination papers on Monday. Reports suggest that Harshwardhan Sapkal intends to be present in Baramati, located in Pune district, during the nomination submission of the Congress candidate.

Political Background in Baramati

Ajit Pawar held the Baramati seat as an MLA for eight terms and secured victory in the 2019 assembly elections by a significant margin of 1.65 lakh votes. He successfully retained his position in the 2024 elections, winning by over one lakh votes against his nephew, Yugendra Pawar.

In broader political manoeuvres, Congress sources have indicated readiness to contest in the forthcoming by-election for the Rahuri assembly constituency in the Ahilyanagar district, provided that its coalition partner, the NCP (Sharad Pawar), opts not to put forward a candidate. Govindrao Mokate is anticipated to be the Congress candidate from the Rahuri constituency if that situation unfolds.

The Rahuri seat became vacant following the demise of BJP legislator Shivaji Kardile, adding another layer of complexity to the political landscape in Maharashtra. The evolving situation in Baramati and its implications for both the Congress and the NCP will be closely monitored as the by-poll approaches.

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