Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, April 6 BJP leader Ashok Chavan criticized the Congress over its decision to contest the Baramati by-election, claiming that the opposition party is headed for a "nominal contest" in the constituency.
The Congress has nominated its state unit secretary, Akash More, for the April 23 by-election to the Baramati seat in Pune district, which has been necessitated due to the death of the sitting NCP MLA and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28.
Ajit Pawar's wife, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is set to make her debut in the by-election.
Speaking to reporters in Nanded on Sunday, Chavan said, "People know the situation of the Congress party better than I do. It doesn't have a presence in Baramati. If the party contests the by-elections, it will be a nominal contest."
While the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) had announced that it would not field a candidate against Sunetra Pawar as a mark of respect for her deceased husband, another member of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Shiv Sena (UBT), has also indicated its support for an unopposed election.
Notably, the Congress announced More's candidature hours after Sunetra Pawar contacted state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal and urged him to ensure an unopposed by-election.
