Sunetra Pawar PUNE/MUMBAI: Just an hour was left for withdrawal of nominations on Thursday when the Congress finally responded to requests from the Pawar family and the Mahayuti partners and dropped its candidate against NCP chief and deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar in the Baramati bye-election. Twenty-two independent candidates still remain in the contest, but now there is no major challenge to the widow of Ajit Pawar, whose death in an aeroplane crash on Jan 28 has necessitated the bypoll. Polling is to be conducted on April 23 and votes will be counted on May 4. Maharashtra Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Sunetra Pawar, and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and MLA Rohit Pawar spoke to senior Congress party leaders to persuade the party not to field a candidate in Baramati, a constituency Ajit Pawar had been representing since 1991. Even NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, who had earlier said the Congress was not wrong in contesting the Baramati bypoll, now advised his alliance partner to withdraw. “Maharashtra lost a talented politician like Ajit Pawar. The Baramati seat fell vacant due to a tragic accident and against this backdrop, my advice to the Congress would be to not contest the seat. It is a national party and we can at most appeal to them. Ultimately, it must decide,” Sharad Pawar said. Rohit Pawar met state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal in Mumbai requesting withdrawal, after which another delegation of NCP leaders, including MLA Sana Malik, met him for the same purpose. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis called Sapkal on the phone. “I requested Sapkal to follow the tradition of Maharashtra and withdraw from Baramati the way BJP did after the death of former home minister R R Patil,” he said.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Glimmer Of Hope’: Mauritius PM Hails India’s Support Amid Iran Crisis, Eyes Key Oil And Gas DealElection Season Kicks Off With Record Voter Turnout In Assam, Puducherry As Kerala Clocks 77% VotingIndia Withdraws Bid To Host COP33 In 2028 — Here’s Why The Government ReconsideredIndia Ramps Up Gulf Outreach: Hardeep Puri Heads To Qatar, Jaishankar to UAE After US-Iran TruceAre You A ‘Worker’ Or Just An Employee? India’s Labour Codes ExplainedDelhi’s Gas Shift: IGL Asks Residents to Move from LPG to PNG Amid Supply PushIndia Tells Seafarers To Remain Indoors As Iran War Puts Strait of Hormuz On EdgeOperation Sindoor Signals India’s Shift To Multi-Domain, Data-Driven Warfare : General DwivediWorld Bank Raises India’s FY27 Growth Forecast to 6.6%, Flags Global Risks From West Asia Conflict’Topple Didi At Any Cost?’ TMC Releases Viral Sting Video To Target Humayun Kabir, BJP Denies Link123PhotostoriesPlastic vs. stainless steel casserole: Which is healthier and safer for storing rotisKhatron Ke Khiladi 15 probable contestants list: Farrhana Bhat, Gaurav Khanna to Manisha Rani likely to join Rohit Shetty’s showHeavyweights line up to vote as Puducherry holds assembly pollsHeavyweights line up to vote as Puducherry holds assembly polls5 elegant bridal picks for a simple court wedding beyond the lehengaNavi Mumbai’s luxury real estate boom: Developers shaping the premium market7 refreshing chutneys made with vegetable peels to keep the gut cool in summer8 unique animals that exist only in Australia and look unrealBest Hollywood horror movies streaming on OTT right now: ‘Hereditary’ and ‘The Conjuring’ to ‘The Ritual’Your biggest weakness you should never ignore; based on your number123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingCandace OwensCardi BTiger WoodsMrBeastUS stock marketPAN Card application 2026Bhojshala disputeIPL Points TableSchool Holidays in AprilChar Dham Yatra 2026
PUNE/MUMBAI: Just an hour was left for withdrawal of nominations on Thursday when the Congress finally responded to requests from the Pawar family and the Mahayuti partners and dropped its candidate against NCP chief and deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar in the Baramati bye-election. Twenty-two independent candidates still remain in the contest, but now there is no major challenge to the widow of Ajit Pawar, whose death in an aeroplane crash on Jan 28 has necessitated the bypoll. Polling is to be conducted on April 23 and votes will be counted on May 4. Maharashtra Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Sunetra Pawar, and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and MLA Rohit Pawar spoke to senior Congress party leaders to persuade the party not to field a candidate in Baramati, a constituency Ajit Pawar had been representing since 1991. Even NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, who had earlier said the Congress was not wrong in contesting the Baramati bypoll, now advised his alliance partner to withdraw. “Maharashtra lost a talented politician like Ajit Pawar. The Baramati seat fell vacant due to a tragic accident and against this backdrop, my advice to the Congress would be to not contest the seat. It is a national party and we can at most appeal to them. Ultimately, it must decide,” Sharad Pawar said. Rohit Pawar met state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal in Mumbai requesting withdrawal, after which another delegation of NCP leaders, including MLA Sana Malik, met him for the same purpose. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis called Sapkal on the phone. “I requested Sapkal to follow the tradition of Maharashtra and withdraw from Baramati the way BJP did after the death of former home minister R R Patil,” he said.
