Mumbai: On Thursday, senior leaders — including Sharad Pawar, Mallikarjun Kharge, CM Devendra Fadnavis, Ramesh Chennithala, state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, MP Supriya Sule, ex-minister Dhananjay Munde, Vijay Wadettiwar, and Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar — converged with one objective: ensuring withdrawal of the Congress nominee from the Baramati Assembly bypoll.
The high-voltage developments, which began early morning, culminated in Congress withdrawing its candidate from the politically crucial seat, paving the way for Sunetra Pawar’s smooth entry into the state Assembly.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash near Baramati airport on January 28. What initially appeared to be a routine by-election — often seen as a straightforward victory for a prominent political family’s candidate — turned into intense political manoeuvring after the Congress decided to field a candidate against Ajit Pawar’s widow.
Following extensive behind-the-scenes deliberations in both Delhi and Mumbai, the Congress withdrew from the April 23 Baramati Assembly by-poll, framing the move as a gesture of “political culture, decorum and dialogue” in the wake of Ajit Pawar’s death. The party had earlier nominated Akash More but reversed its decision after appeals from leaders across party lines and internal consultations led by Mallikarjun Kharge.
Explaining the shift, Harshwardhan Sapkal said the March 15 decision to contest was rooted in an “ideological fight against the BJP”, but circumstances had since changed. “Ajit Pawar was a tall leader… his accidental death has left a deep void,” he said, adding, “While we remain ideologically opposed to the BJP, we cannot ignore Maharashtra’s cultural and emotional traditions.” Sapkal noted that repeated outreach from leaders across factions influenced the decision. Senior figures, including Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar, urged the Congress to allow an unopposed tribute.
Interestingly, they had earlier supported the Congress decision to field a candidate, fuelling speculation over their change in stance. He also revealed that Sunetra Pawar had personally reached out multiple times. In a rare political gesture, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reportedly called Sapkal using Dhananjay Munde’s phone, requesting the Congress to step aside to ensure a smoother electoral process.
Sapkal, however, emphasised that the decision was taken independently. Despite the Congress withdrawal, the election will proceed, with more than 20 candidates still in the fray. “We are taking two steps back now,” Sapkal said, “but will prepare for a bigger fight in 2029,” adding that the Congress is “not supporting any candidate” in this by-poll. The Congress had earlier set a condition seeking the withdrawal of an FIR related to the January 28 plane crash. With Akash More’s withdrawal, 22 candidates remain in contention, though none are expected to pose a serious challenge to Sunetra Pawar.
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