- By Aditya Jha
- Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:16 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Baramati Bypoll: The bypoll for the Baramati Assembly constituency in Maharashtra, following the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, is set to be conducted on April 23. The Nationalist Congress Party has fielded Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar from Baramati. While the NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena have decided to not contest the polls in respect to Ajit Pawar, Congress has reportedly expressed willingness to field its candidate, leading to another possible rift in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has already declared that it will not field a candidate against Sunetra Pawar, a decision showing solid family ties despite political rivalry. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, after conducting a regional survey, has also decided to not contest the polls out of respect to the former stalwart of Baramati. However, Congress, while taking a different path, is reportedly planning to fight the election against Sunetra Pawar.
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The NCP (SP) has expressed its displeasure over Congress' decision to contest the polls and is likely to discuss the issue with its top brass, reported NDTV, citing sources. The Sharad Pawar-led party has stated that such a decision on the high-profile seat could hurt the opposition alliance in the longer run.
"The two places are traditional bastions of NCP (SP). We decided to not contest from those two seats. We'll discuss this with the Congress," NCP (SP) state President Shashikant Shinde was quoted as saying by NDTV. Ajit Pawar was a prominent politician of Maharashtra and enjoyed unmatched popularity in Baramati, a seat he held as MLA for nearly three decades.
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Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar has decided to carry forward his legacy in the region by contesting the election. The bypoll in Baramati will be held on April 23, and the results will be announced on May 4.