Mumbai, April 5 The Congress on Sunday picked Akash More, its state unit secretary, against Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar for the Baramati assembly bypoll, a move indicating a rift in the opposition over fielding a candidate in a contest necessitated by Ajit Pawar's death.
While the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) had announced it wouldn't field a candidate against Sunetra as a mark of respect for her deceased husband, another Maha Vikas Aghadi member, the Shiv Sena (UBT), has also indicated its support for an unopposed election.
Notably, the Congress announced the name of More hours after Sunetra Pawar called state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal and urged him to ensure an unopposed bypoll.
More is the son of former party MLC Vijayrao More and belongs to the Dhangar community, Congress leaders said.
Currently a Rajya Sabha member, Sunetra Pawar will file her nominations for the bypoll, scheduled for April 23, on Monday.
A day earlier, Sunetra Pawar had sought Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's support in the April 23 byelection, which was necessitated due to the death of her husband and then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in January.
Votes will be counted on May 4.
"If the Congress is going to take a different decision, then I don't think we should interfere in it as MVA. But Uddhav ji and Ajit Pawar had an emotional bond..." Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Saturday.
He also said that Thackeray will hold a press conference and announce his decision.
Sources, however, had emphasised that Thackeray was not averse to extending his support to Sunetra Pawar, considering his close ties with the late Ajit Pawar and the Pawar family.
Sources also said Sapkal will remain present for the filing of nomination by the party candidate on Monday in Baramati, Pune district, which is the last day of submitting papers.
Baramati has always remained loyal to the Pawar clan, with former Union Minister and veteran politician Sharad Pawar representing the constituency in the Lok Sabha multiple times.
His daughter and NCP (SP) leader, Supriya Sule, is the incumbent Lok Sabha member from the seat. She had defeated her sister-in-law, Sunetra Pawar, in the 2024 general elections.
This will be the debut assembly polls contest for Sunetra Pawar, currently a Rajya Sabha member.
The late Ajit Pawar had represented the Baramati assembly constituency eight times. In the 2019 assembly elections, he had won the seat by a huge margin of 1.65 lakh votes. In 2024, he retained the seat by a difference of more than 1 lakh votes, defeating his nephew Yugendra Pawar.
Meanwhile, sources in Congress also indicated that the party is willing to contest the upcoming bypoll to the Rahuri assembly constituency in Ahilyanagar district if its ally, NCP (SP), decides not to contest.
The Rahuri seat fell vacant after the death of BJP legislator Shivaji Kardile.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde have already appealed to opposition parties to uphold a political convention in Maharashtra of not fielding a candidate against the kin of a deceased legislator in an electoral contest.
"The Mahayuti stands firmly behind Sunetra Pawar. I appeal to all parties to respect the convention. In such situations, there has been a tradition in the state to hold elections unopposed. All parties should support this spirit," Shinde said in Thane on Sunday.