Baramati bypoll: Fadnavis backs unopposed win for late Ajit Pawar’s wife, cites convention

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday appealed to all parties to ensure an unopposed bypoll in the Baramati assembly constituency, necessitated by the death of then NCP president Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, to elect his wife and incumbent Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar.

He urged consensus in backing Sunetra Pawar to respect Maharashtra's political traditions.

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Recalling past instances, Fadnavis cited the unopposed bypoll held after the death of NCP (undivided) MLA and former state home minister R R Patil. His wife, Suman Patil, was elected from the Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal assembly constituency following her husband's death in 2015.

"All parties should show a large-hearted approach and ensure the by-election is held unopposed," Fadnavis told reporters.

The BJP, which heads the Mahayuti alliance, shares power with the NCP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

NCP sources had said that Sunetra Pawar, currently a member of Rajya Sabha, will file her nomination on April 6 for the April 23 byelection to the Baramati assembly segment in Pune district.

Ajit Pawar, an eight-time MLA from home turf Baramati, and four others were killed on January 28 when a plane carrying them crashed near the Baramati air strip.

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In the 2019 assembly election, Ajit Pawar had won the Baramati seat by the highest margin of 1.65 lakh votes. He retained the seat by a margin of more than 1 lakh votes in the 2024 polls by defeating his nephew, Yugendra Pawar.

While the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has declared that it will not contest the upcoming bypoll in Baramati, its ally Congress has said it will not let the election go uncontested.

Sunetra Pawar took oath as the deputy CM of the state on January 31, and was unanimously elected as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on February 26.

Apart from Baramati, a bypoll is also scheduled for the Rahuri assembly constituency in Ahilyanagar district. It was necessitated due to the death of BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile.