Congress pulls out of Baramati bypoll, gifts NCP a walkover

The Opposition Congress on Thursday opted out of the bypoll to the Baramati Assembly seat in Maharashtra at the last moment, giving a virtual walkover to ruling NCP candidate and Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar, though a contest will still take place as 22 other nominees remain in the fray.

After initially appearing firm to contest the April 23 bypoll, necessitated due to the death of former Deputy Chief Minister and sitting Baramati MLA Ajit Pawar, the husband of Sunetra, the Congress withdrew its candidate in the wake of calls from ruling allies Nationalist Congress Party, BJP and also its Opposition partner NCP (SP).

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal sought to frame the decision to climb down as a move rooted in Maharashtra’s political culture and decorum and referred to the death of Ajit Pawar in an air crash just over two months ago.

“The decision was taken to maintain the state’s political culture, decorum and dialogue. We are taking two steps back since the bypoll is taking place immediately after the tragic demise of Ajit Pawar. Even though Ajit Pawar started his political career with the Congress, he had joined hands with the BJP for the sake of power,” Sapkal said.

“The Congress is withdrawing from the Baramati bypoll, but not supporting any candidate,” the MPCC president maintained. Soon after his announcement, Congress candidate Akash More withdrew his nomination from the high-profile assembly seat, a Pawar family bastion in Pune district, just before end of the deadline.

“As per directions from the party leadership, I have withdrawn my nomination,” More told reporters in Baramati.

Sapkal made it clear his party’s decision had nothing to do with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a BJP leader, speaking to him with a request for an unopposed election of Sunetra Pawar from the seat won by her husband eight times in the past.

The MPCC president said Sunetra Pawar had spoken to him three times over phone and even met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi to seek withdrawal of the party candidate.

Sapkal also disclosed that NCP leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde spoke to him over the phone, requesting the withdrawal of the Congress candidate from the fray. Another NCP minister, Makrand Patil, met him with a delegation of party leaders and made the same request.

Putting up a brave face, the state Congress chief asserted his party will prepare for a bigger fight in the 2029 assembly polls and expressed confidence about winning the Pawar family pocket borough.

“I am categorically stating that there will be a Congress candidate in Baramati in 2029 who will be elected,” he insisted.

Despite the Congress opting out, the Baramati Assembly seat will still see a contest as 22 other candidates remain in the fray. However, none of them is likely to pose any significant challenge to Sunetra Pawar, whose election from the seat appears a mere formality.

Votes will be counted on May 4.

Sapkal’s announcement of opting out of the race came soon after AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra, Ramesh Chennithala, said his party will not contest the Baramati assembly bypoll.

Talking to PTI, Chennithala said he has asked the State Congress to withdraw its candidate from the poll fray.

Earlier in the day, top NCP (SP) leaders, including Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar, urged the Congress to withdraw its candidate against NCP president Sunetra Parwar. The NCP (SP) is an ally of the Congress and a rival of the ruling NCP.

Talking to reporters in Baramati, Sharad Pawar said since the bypoll is being held in the backdrop of the tragic plane crash that claimed Ajit Pawar’s life, he would advise the Congress not to be a part of the contest.

The Congress had earlier said it would withdraw from the contest only if an FIR was registered in connection with the plane crash in which Ajit Pawar and four others were killed on January 28.

The run-up to the bypoll turned acrimonious after Parth Pawar, son of Sunetra Pawar, recently criticised the Congress for fielding a candidate and predicted the party’s “downfall”.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), an ally of the Congress and NCP (SP) in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), took a different stand on the bypoll issue.

Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said the Opposition had an opportunity to get its demand of registration of an FIR in the Ajit Pawar plane crash accepted by the BJP-led Government in exchange of withdrawal of the Congress candidate from the Baramati seat.

Raut maintained there was a chance before the Opposition parties to “unmask” the BJP, which heads the ruling Mahayuti coalition.