Mumbai, April 8 Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP president Sunetra Pawar spoke to state Congress head Harshwardhan Sapkal on Wednesday and requested him to ensure that his party's candidate withdraws his nomination against her in the Baramati assembly bypoll, sources said.
The phone conversation came on the eve of the last day for withdrawal of forms for the April 23 bypoll in which Congress has fielded Akash More against Sunetra Pawar, the wife of then Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who represented the Baramati constituency.
Notably, this is the second time she has spoken to Sapkal since April 6, requesting him to ensure an unopposed election.
The Congress is likely to make a decision on the candidature on Thursday morning, sources said.
Earlier in the day, Sunetra Pawar met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the strategy and campaign for the bypoll.
Sources said Fadnavis assured Sunetra Pawar of full support from the BJP as an "elder brother".
The meeting discussed campaigning and strategy for the bypoll, which became necessary after the then Deputy CM Ajit Pawar was killed in a plane crash. He had represented the constituency eight times.
Despite appeals made by Fadnavis and leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena and NCP to ensure an unopposed election as a tribute to Ajit Pawar, the opposition Congress has fielded a candidate.
A total of 53 candidates, including Sunetra Pawar and Congress's Akash More, have filed their nominations. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 9.
The Congress had said that it would withdraw from the contest only if an FIR is registered into Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash in January.
However, the run-up to the contest turned acrimonious after Parth Pawar criticised Congress for fielding a candidate and predicted the party's "downfall". The Congress hit back, terming Parth as an "ungrateful son".
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and the party MP Supriya Sule have observed that, being an independent political party, the Congress has every right to contest the bypoll.
Senior NCP leader Praful Patel on Tuesday said the party was hopeful that Sunetra Pawar would be elected unopposed.
"I tried to speak with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, but as he was busy with election campaigns in Kerala, Assam and other places, I couldn't speak to him, but I had conveyed the message. We will make every effort to have the election unopposed," Patel told reporters in Gondia.
He said that the "sympathy and sentiments" of the people of Baramati are with Sunetra Pawar.
Patel also stated that India has handled the West Asia situation well in a planned manner under PM Modi's leadership.
"It's the success of our government that a number of shipments of our country transporting gas and fuel have passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Moreover, in such a big country with around 145 crore population, there may be some issues during the normal course," he said.
Responding to the Pakistan Defence Minister's statement that they would target West Bengal if India attempted any "false flag operation", Patel said India will give them a befitting reply, and the PM has made it clear with Operation Sindoor.