In a last-minute decision ahead of the nomination withdrawal deadline, the Congress on Thursday announced it would not contest the Baramati assembly bypoll, paving the way for an uncontested win for Sunetra Pawar, with Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal saying the party withdrew its candidate after appeals from NCP leaders and in keeping with state political traditions, noting that Sunetra Pawar reached out personally while leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Rohit Pawar also urged reconsideration.
The announcement, made on the final day for withdrawal of nominations, brought an end to days of uncertainty over the Congress’ position, with 20 candidates pulling out of the Baramati bypoll race by Thursday afternoon out of the 55 who had initially filed nominations. The party’s decision came amid mounting political pressure to allow an uncontested election following the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28, which necessitated the April 23 bypoll and sparked calls for a symbolic contest. Supriya Sule also appealed to Congress leadership, describing the move as a tribute in the wake of Pawar’s untimely demise.
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Baramati Bypoll: Push for Unopposed Election Gains Momentum
Emphasising Ajit Pawar’s long association with the Congress, Supriya Sule said his political journey began with the party and urged it to allow an unopposed Baramati bypoll as a tribute to his legacy of public service and inclusive politics. Earlier, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar had hinted at the possibility of withdrawing candidate Akash More amid growing pressure, while state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal held discussions with the leadership over the final decision. Meanwhile, a five-member NCP delegation led by minister Makarand Patil, along with MLAs Sanjay Khodke, Rajesh Vitekar, Manoj Kayande and Sana Malik, met Sapkal to press for an uncontested election in Baramati.
Earlier in the day, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar met Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal urging withdrawal of the party’s candidate, while state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule warned of political consequences if Sunetra Pawar was not elected unopposed, claiming public sentiment favoured her. Despite repeated appeals, 53 candidates, including Sunetra Pawar and Congress nominee Akash More, had filed nominations, with tensions rising after Parth Pawar criticised the Congress, prompting a sharp rebuttal from the party. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule maintained that the Congress, as an independent party, had the right to contest the election.
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