Baramati Bypoll 2026 Results: Sunetra Pawar Leads After First Round

Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has taken a strong lead in the Baramati Assembly bypoll after the first round of counting on Monday. She secured 8,868 votes, while all other 22 candidates and NOTA together received around 150 votes, indicating an overwhelming early advantage.

The by-election in Baramati has largely turned into a one-sided contest. Most attention is now on the margin of victory rather than the outcome itself. Sunetra Pawar is the candidate of the ruling Mahayuti alliance and entered the race with significant political backing.

The seat fell vacant after the death of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash on 28th January 2026. Following his death, the alliance nominated his wife, Sunetra Pawar, as its candidate.

In a major political development, no strong opposition party fielded a candidate against her. Senior leader Sharad Pawar also extended support, which further strengthened her position in the constituency.

Initially, multiple candidates had entered the race. However, Congress nominee Akash More later withdrew, reducing the total number of contestants to 23. Among them, only two candidates represent registered political parties. These include R.Y. Ghatukade from the New Rashtriya Samaj Party and Satish Kadam from the Hindustan Janata Party. The remaining 21 candidates are independents.

Independent Faces Made Buzz…

Some independent candidates are known faces. These include Karuna Munde, wife of Dhananjay Munde, and political aspirant Abhijit Bichukale.

The Mahayuti alliance had earlier aimed for an uncontested election. With key opposition leaders stepping aside, the bypoll effectively became a low-contest election without a strong rival, which likely contributed to the relatively high voter turnout of 58.27% despite the lack of competition.

The Baramati bypoll recorded a voter turnout of 58.27%. The constituency has more than 3.73 lakh registered voters. While the final result is still awaited, early trends suggest a decisive win for Sunetra Pawar.

The count of votes began at 8 a.m. under tight security. Apart from Baramati, counting is also underway in other constituencies, including Rahuri, Umreth, Bagalkot, Davanagere South, Koridang, and Dharma Nagar.

Published on: Monday, May 04, 2026, 09:55 AM IST