Pune: In the backdrop of the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, leaders from the Pawar family have appealed for an uncontested by-election in the Baramati Assembly constituency.
Baramati MP Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) urged the Indian National Congress to withdraw its candidate. Sule is also the cousin of the late deputy chief minister.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she said an uncontested election would be a fitting tribute to Ajit Pawar. She said that Ajit Pawar shared cordial ties with the Congress and had worked closely with the party in the past.
Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on 28th January 2026, when a Learjet 45 carrying him and four others went down while attempting to land at Baramati airport.
His death created a vacancy in the Baramati Assembly seat and led to the announcement of a by-election. The state observed a three-day mourning period after the incident.
Rohit Pawar’s Appeal
Echoing Sule’s appeal, Karjat Jamkhed MLA Rohit Pawar of NCP-SP and nephew of the late Ajit Pawar said that an uncontested election is the wish of people across the state and in Baramati.
He said Ajit Pawar had spent most of his political career with the Congress and maintained strong relations with its leaders.
Rohit Pawar said he and others met Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal in Mumbai and requested the party to withdraw its nomination.
‘We Are Fighting Government’
However, he noted that Sapkal raised concerns over the lack of an FIR in the plane crash case and questioned why the party should not oppose the government on the issue.
Despite this, Rohit Pawar appealed to all candidates, including independents and the Congress, to withdraw their nominations. He urged support for a consensus candidate from the Pawar family, likely Sunetra Pawar, to ensure she is elected unopposed.
The Baramati constituency is considered a stronghold of the Pawar family. The by-election is seen as both a political and emotional moment for the region following Ajit Pawar’s sudden death.
