Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Sunetra Pawar will file her nomination on April 6 for the Baramati Assembly by-election in Pune district, party sources said on Friday.
The bypoll, scheduled for April 23, was necessitated following the death of her husband and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28. Sunetra Pawar, currently a Rajya Sabha member, is set to contest from the family stronghold.
According to party sources, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are expected to be present during the filing of her nomination papers, which will take place after a public meeting in Baramati.
Ajit Pawar, an eight-time MLA from Baramati, had maintained a strong political hold over the constituency. He secured a record victory margin of 1.65 lakh votes in the 2019 Assembly elections and retained the seat in 2024 with a margin exceeding one lakh votes.
While the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has announced that it will not contest the bypoll, its ally Congress has indicated that it may field a candidate, ensuring a contest in the constituency.
Sunetra Pawar assumed office as Deputy Chief Minister on January 31 and was unanimously elected as NCP president on February 26.
Alongside Baramati, the Rahuri Assembly seat in Ahilyanagar district will also go to polls on April 23 following the death of BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile.
