MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Monday filed her nomination for the Baramati assembly bypoll, necessitated by the death of her husband, Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash on January 28, 2026.
After filing the nomination, Sunetra Pawar described the contest as the toughest election of her life following her husband’s demise. The Congress has fielded Akash More against her.
Speaking to the people of Baramati, she became emotional and said that Ajit Pawar’s death is not just a personal loss but a loss for Baramati and the country. “In wildest dream also, I had not thought that I would file the nomination in the place Ajit Pawar in Baramati. Ajit Pawar is everywhere in Baramati, in each part, each tree, and each building. He did everything for Baramati, and the people of Baramati should give me their blessing to serve them as their family member. Serving Baramati means serving God,” Sunetra Pawar said.
She added that this is her first election, coming soon after her husband’s death. “I have a rich social and political heritage. I am the daughter-in-law of Sharad Pawar, who was the chief minister of Maharashtra four times, while my husband, Ajit Pawar, was the deputy chief minister six times,” she said.
Sunetra Pawar and her party are also attempting to persuade the Congress to withdraw its candidate, seeking an unopposed election. She said efforts are underway, with senior NCP leader Praful Patel reaching out to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. “We are trying to contact him and request that this election be made unopposed,” she said.
Responding to this appeal, Sharad Pawar stated that it is up to the Congress party to decide whether to field a candidate. He added that while Ajit Pawar was a family member and the party has chosen not to contest, every party has the right to make its own decision. “Ajit Pawar was our family member, therefore, as family head and party head, we decided not to contest the election, so there is no question of campaigning to any candidate also,” he said.
Sharad Pawar further said that discussions regarding a merger of factions of the Nationalist Congress Party had been ongoing, with five meetings held, but those talks have stalled following Ajit Pawar’s death.
