Pune: Sunetra Pawar secures highest-ever Assembly victory margin in India, Wins Baramati Bypoll by 2.18 lakh votes

Baramati, 4th May 2026: Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Monday secured a record victory in the Baramati Assembly bypoll, winning by a margin of 2,18,969 votes, according to data released by the Election Commission of India.

Her nearest rival, R Y Ghutukade of the New Rashtriya Samaj Party, polled 935 votes, the ECI data showed.

With this, Sunetra Pawar registered the highest victory margin ever recorded in an Assembly election in the country, surpassing the previous benchmark held by BJP leader Sunil Kumar Sharma, who had won the Sahibabad seat in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh in 2022.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28.

Sunetra Pawar, who subsequently assumed the post of Deputy Chief Minister and took charge of party leadership, contested her first Assembly election in Baramati. This is her second electoral contest, having previously lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election to Supriya Sule.

Ajit Pawar had set a constituency record in 2019, winning Baramati by over 1.65 lakh votes against BJP’s Gopichand Padalkar.

Sunetra expressed gratitude towards the voters and party workers who campaigner for her in the constituency. In a social media post on X, she said “This victory is a responsibility to carry forward Dada’s dreams and his work. I will never let the trust that Baramati has placed in me fall short; I will always stand firmly with you in your joys and sorrows.”

She noted that this was the first election in Baramati after the passing of Ajit Pawar, adding that his guidance and presence were deeply missed. The victory, she said, is not merely a political achievement but a true tribute to his work and memory.

Ajit Pawar’s contribution to Maharashtra and Baramati, his connect with people and his vision for development continue to remain alive in everyone’s hearts, she said, adding that his ideals and values give her strength to move forward. The victory, she stressed, carries the responsibility of taking his dreams and work ahead, she said.