Rohit Pawar urges unopposed bypoll as Sunetra Pawar files nomination in Maharashtra's Baramati

As Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister CM Sunetra Pawar prepares to file her nomination for the Baramati bypoll NCP SP leader Rohit Pawar on Monday urged other aspirants to refrain from filing nominations and appealed for the election to be held unopposedThe April 23 bypoll for the Baramati Assembly seat was necessitated following the death of then Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28According to party sources Sunetra Pawar will file her nomination around 1230 pm in Baramati in the presence of senior NCP leaders Praful Patel Sunil Tatkare Hasan Mushrif Dattatray Bharne and BJP Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule PTI reportedWatch Sunetra Pawar visits Hanuman temple pays tribute at Ajit Pawarrsquos cremation siteEarlier in the day she visited the Hanuman temple in Kanheri and paid respects at Ajit Pawarrsquos cremation site Her sons Jay and Parth Pawar along with Tatkare accompanied herVIDEO Baramati Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP candidate Sunetra Pawar offers prayers at Maruti Rai Temple ahead of filing her nominationFull video available on PTI Videos httpstcodv5TRAShcC pictwittercomsbGTz89jopmdash Press Trust of India PTI_News April 6 2026Rohit Pawar in a post on X reiterated his appeal for an unopposed electionldquoToday Sunetra Kaki is filing her nomination for the Baramati Assembly bypoll We all wish that the poll should be held unopposed I urge other aspirants not to file their nomination papersrdquo he said the news agency reportedHe added that if a contest takes place the people of Baramati would view it as if Ajit Pawar himself were in the fray and ensure Sunetra Pawarrsquos victory by a record marginBaramati bypoll May withdraw from fray if FIR registered in Ajit Pawar plane crash says CongressThe Maharashtra Congress on Monday said it will consider withdrawing from the Baramati Assembly bypoll if a First Information Report FIR is registered in the plane crash that killed former Deputy CM Ajit PawarState Congress Spokesperson Atul Londhe in a statement rejected claims that the April 23 byelection should be held unopposed and accused the BJP of adopting a ldquoconvenientrdquo political stanceCongress fields Akash More against Sunetra Pawar in Baramati bypollThe Congress on Sunday fielded its state unit secretary Akash More against Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar for the Baramati bypoll which was necessitated by the death of sitting Nationalist Congress Party MLA and then Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in the constituency on January 28Ajit Pawar had represented the seat in Pune district eight times with several of his victories coming by record marginsWhile the Opposition including NCP SP and Shiv Sena UBT has extended support for the bypoll to be held unopposed the Congress has maintained that it will contest itLondhe said the party and its candidate would consider withdrawing from the fray if an FIR is registered in Baramati regarding the plane crash that killed Ajit PawarFamily seeks investigation CBI inquiry demand highlightedThe Congress leader raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding Ajit Pawarrsquos death noting that the family has demanded a probe into the matter and that Sunetra Pawar had sought an inquiry by the CBIHe also pointed out that NCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar had made repeated efforts to get an FIR registered in Maharashtra but succeeded only in KarnatakaLondhe further argued that there is no consistent precedent of bypolls being held unopposed following the demise of sitting legislators He cited bypolls in Nanded after the death of Vasantrao Chavan and in Mangalwedha Solapur following the demise of Bharat BhalkeThe Congress leader accused the BJP of double standards claiming the ruling party has acted according to political convenience on such issuesWith PTI inputs