Baramati By-Election: Congress Likely to Withdraw Candidate After Kharge–Sharad Pawar Talks

Pune, 9th April 2026: The possibility of the Baramati Assembly by-election being held unopposed has gained momentum after the Congress decided to withdraw its candidate from the contest. The development came after Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge reportedly assured Sharad Pawar that the party would step back from the race.

The by-election was necessitated following the accidental death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, which left the Baramati Assembly seat vacant. The poll had drawn national attention, and efforts were underway to ensure that the election was held unopposed.

Earlier, the prospect of an uncontested election had appeared uncertain after the Congress fielded a candidate against Sunetra Pawar, the nominee backed by the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Sharad Pawar.

Sources said Sunetra Pawar personally called Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal twice, urging the party to reconsider its decision. Subsequently, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar met Sapkal on Thursday morning and requested that the Congress allow the by-election to be held unopposed.

Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar later told the media that state leaders had decided to recommend withdrawing the party’s candidate from the Baramati by-election. He said the decision would be communicated to the party high command, which was expected to take a final call by the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar also held discussions with senior Congress leaders in Delhi regarding the issue. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is also reported to have spoken to Sapkal over the phone, requesting that the Congress withdraw from the contest to facilitate an unopposed election.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations for the by-election is today, making the next few hours crucial. The ruling alliance had been pushing for an uncontested election, but the Congress decision to field a candidate earlier had cast doubts over that possibility.

With the reported assurance from Kharge to Sharad Pawar, the path for an unopposed by-election in Baramati now appears clearer, though the final formal process will depend on the withdrawal of the nomination before the deadline.