Congress Major Gaffe: Party's Maharashtra Chief Harshwardhan Sapkal Goofs Up With Name Of Baramati Bypoll Candidate Akash More

Mumbai: The Indian National Congress on Sunday announced Akash More as its candidate for the Baramati Assembly by-election, setting up a direct contest against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. However, the announcement briefly sparked confusion after a naming error by state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal.

In a post on X, Sapkal mistakenly referred to the candidate as 'Akash Vishwanath More' while sharing the party’s official press release. The error was later flagged by journalist Shital Pawar, who pointed out that the correct name is Akash Vijayrao More, son of former legislator Vijayrao More.

Who Is Congress Candidate Akash More?

Akash More, a lawyer by profession, currently serves as secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee and comes from a political background. His father, Vijayrao More, was a former Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. More had also contested the Assembly elections in 2014 and is known to be aligned with Congress ideology. His candidature has been approved by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

More is expected to file his nomination on Monday. His selection is being seen as a strategic move by the Congress, particularly with an eye on consolidating support from the Dhangar community in the constituency.

The Baramati seat in Pune district is considered a stronghold of the Pawar family. The by-election was initially expected to be uncontested, with senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare indicating that outreach efforts were being made to Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, to avoid a contest.

The bypoll was necessitated following the demise of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who represented the constituency. As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India, polling will be held on April 23, 2026, with counting scheduled for May 4. The Baramati by-election is now set to witness a high-stakes political contest in one of Maharashtra’s most prominent constituencies.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/