Sunetra Pawar gets walkover in Baramati as Congress withdraws candidate

The Congress's move came after senior NCP (SP) leaders, including Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, urged it to pull out of the Baramati bypoll, which is scheduled on April 23.

In Short

• Congress withdraws candidate as mark of respect for Ajit Pawar
• Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati in January
• Baramati seat has been held by Pawar family since 1991

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is set to win the Baramati bypolls unopposed after the Congress withdrew its candidate as a "mark of respect" for her husband and former NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash earlier this year. The Congress's move came after senior NCP (SP) leaders, including Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, urged it to pull out of the Baramati bypoll, which is scheduled on April 23.

Ajit Pawar, fondly called Ajit Dada, died in a plane crash in January as it was about to land in Baramati. He was then the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and the Baramati MLA. Within 72 hours, his wife Sunetra was made the Deputy CM.

The Baramati seat is regarded as a bastion of the Pawar family. It was held by Ajit Pawar since 1991. Before that, his uncle, Sharad Pawar, held the Baramati seat. The latest move ensures that both the Baramati assembly seat and the parliamentary constituency are held by the Pawar family. Sule is the MP from Baramati.

WHY DID CONGRESS PULL OUT OF BARAMATI ELECTION?

On Thursday, the last date for withdrawing the nomination, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal said the party's candidate, Amar More, would pull out.

Sapkal said the Congress had fielded a candidate against Sunetra to fight what he described as an "ideological battle" due to concerns that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was acting as a "B-team" of the BJP.

However, he said the party eventually changed its stance out of respect for Ajit Pawar, who has been part of Congress-led governments in Maharashtra in the past.

The decision came shortly after Sule's emotional post on X. "Ajit dada's political journey began with the Congress, and he maintained a long-standing, respectful association with it throughout his career... In this moment of grief and remembrance, an unopposed election in Baramati would serve as a dignified and heartfelt tribute to his legacy," the Baramati MP tweeted.

Earlier this week, a delegation of senior NCP leaders, led by Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde, also personally reached out to Congress to get its candidate withdrawn. Separately, Sunetra also met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Following these developments and backchannel talks, the Congress leadership eventually decided to pull out of the Baramati contest.

- Ends