Nashik: Hours before EC announced bypolls to Baramati and Rahuri seats on April 23, CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said BJP is working on ways to ensure that the elections are held unopposed.“I believe elections should be held unopposed in both the seats. We will try to have a consensus among all [parties] in favour of a candidate. But if elections are forced upon us, we are ready to contest,” said Fadnavis. The Baramati seat fell vacant after the former deputy CWM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar‘s death in a plane crash on Jan 28. Shivaji Kardile, MLA of Rahuri in Ahilyangar, died on Oct 17 last year. Baramati was Ajit Pawar’s traditional seat; he won with record margins eight consecutive times there. The 2024 assembly polls witnessed a Pawar vs Pawar fight, where Ajit Pawar was challenged by his nephew Yugendra. The elections were held against the backdrop of a split in the Pawar family and NCP. Ajit Pawar defeated Yugendra by over 1 lakh votes and avenged his wife Sunetra Pawar’s defeat from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat. Sunetra has been appointed deputy CM and will be NCP’s candidate for the Baramati bypoll. She will most likely be elected unopposed because NCP (SP) working president Supriya said her party will not field any candidate for the seat. Considering strong sentiments, other parties are likely to do the same. The Rahuri seat, on the other hand, has witnessed a battle between Kardile family and Tanpure family from NCP. Kardile won the seat in 2009 and 2014, but missed the hattrick in 2019. He was defeated by then undivided NCP candidate Prajakt Tanpure. Kardile managed to avenge his defeat when he won the seat against Tanpure in 2024. BJP sources expect and unopposed win from the seat, but the party is yet to name a candidate.
