Baramati bypoll 2026: Rohit Pawar meets Maharashtra Congress chief, seeks unopposed win for Sunetra Pawar

NCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar on Thursday met Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal urging the party to withdraw its candidate from the Baramati bypoll to enable the unopposed election of his aunt NCP president Sunetra PawarA day earlier Sunetra Pawar had spoken to Sapkal requesting him to ensure that the partyrsquos candidate withdraws his nomination against her in the April 23 bypoll PTI reported quoting sourcesThe Congress had said it would withdraw from the contest only if an FIR was registered in connection with then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawarrsquos death in a plane crash in January which necessitated the Baramati byelectionParth Pawar predicts Congress lsquodownfallrsquo row escalatesHowever the runup to the contest turned acrimonious after Sunetra Pawarrsquos son Parth Pawar recently criticised the Congress for fielding a candidate and predicted the partyrsquos ldquodownfallrdquoRohit Pawar told PTI on Thursday that he had expressed regret over his cousin Parth Pawarrsquos remarksldquoI am confident the Congress will take an appropriate and positive decision after consulting its leadershiprdquo he said reported PTI53 candidates file nominations for Baramati bypollA total of 53 candidates including Sunetra Pawar and Congressrsquos Akash More have filed their nominations The last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 9The NCP SP leader said the Congress has sent the right message that justice should be delivered in the plane crash case and that an FIR should be registered in MaharashtraldquoI hope Sunetra Pawar who is in Delhi today will meet Union minister Amit Shah and seek a CBI probe into the caserdquo Rohit Pawar said adding that he has repeatedly demanded a highlevel investigation into the Baramati crashThe Sharad Pawarled NCP SP has announced that it will not field any candidate against Sunetra PawarRow over Congress fielding candidate for Baramati bypoll unnecessary Harshwardhan SapkalMaharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Tuesday described as unnecessary the controversy surrounding the Congress decision to field a candidate in the Baramati assembly byelection Speaking to reporters in Mumbai Sapkal said there was no need to politicise the issue or create friction over electoral choicesHe emphasised that every political party has the right to take independent decisions regarding participation in electionsBaramati bypoll becomes focal point of political debateThe byelection scheduled for April 23 has drawn significant political attention Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is contesting the seat which fell vacant after the death of her husband Ajit Pawar earlier this yearThe ruling alliance had appealed for an uncontested election as a mark of respect While parties such as the NCP SP and Shiv Sena UBT part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi chose not to field candidates the Congress announced Akash More as its nominee triggering political reactionsResponse to criticism from Parth PawarThe Congress decision faced criticism from Parth Pawar who remarked that the party was facing a decline in Maharashtra and would suffer consequences for contesting against his mother His statement sparked reactions from multiple political leaders across partiesResponding indirectly to such criticism Sapkal reiterated that elections should be conducted with dignity and mutual respect He stressed that democratic processes should not be overshadowed by unnecessary disputes or personal remarksCall for maintaining democratic values and decorumSapkal highlighted that differences of opinion among political leaders are a natural part of democracy However he said the focus should remain on ensuring a fair and smooth electoral process rather than engaging in avoidable controversiesHe added that the Congress would soon clarify its official stance in detail regarding the byelection indicating that further communication from the party leadership is expectedEncourages voter participation praises civic responsibilityApart from addressing the bypoll issue Sapkal also praised voters from Kerala residing in Mumbai who are travelling back to their home state to cast their votes He described their efforts as a commendable example of democratic responsibilityAccording to him such participation reflects the true spirit of elections as a celebration of democracy He urged citizens to actively participate in the electoral process and contribute to higher voter turnoutThe Baramati byelection continues to remain politically significant with developments around party strategies and alliances shaping the broader discourse in Maharashtra politicsWith inputs from PTI