NCP (SP) not to contest Baramati seat against Sunetra, says Sule

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) working president Supriya Sule on Monday said that her party will not contest against NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar in the Baramati Assembly bypoll.

“We will not field any candidate from our party against Ms. Pawar. However, the allies of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will discuss and take a decision on the Rahuri seat,” said Ms. Sule.

Bypolls to Baramati and Rahuri, necessitated by the deaths of then Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and BJP legislator Shivaji Kardile respectively, will be held on April 23. While Pawar was killed in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28, Kardile died of a cardiac arrest on October 17 last year. 

Ms. Pawar, who is currently the Deputy CM, does not hold any legislative position but is required to be elected within six months as per the Constitutional provision.

Earlier, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar urged other parties to ensure that Ms. Pawar is elected unopposed.