The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) – as announced by Sule – will not compete against Sunetra Vahini in the Baramati assembly bypoll, and she used a family term to show why they wouldn’t. She described the move as being to keep from a direct fight within the Pawar family at a time of sadness and change.
The opening in Baramati happened because of the January plane crash that took Ajit Pawar and four other people’s lives. Sunetra Pawar then went into roles at the national and state levels; she was chosen for the Rajya Sabha, and became Deputy Chief Minister and party leader, so the seat is now a very important and watched contest.
Sule’s decision is based on family respect and not pushing things
Sule explained to reporters in New Delhi that the NCP (SP) would not take part in the Baramati bypoll versus Sunetra Vahini, using the family title to make her reason clear. She presented this as a way to not have a head-on clash inside the Pawar family while they were in mourning and going through a shift.
Baramati has, for a long time, been a Pawar family’s powerful area, and a key part of state politics. In the 2024 general election, Supriya Sule kept the Baramati seat in Parliament, beating Sunetra Pawar – a contest where family were on opposite sides when people voted.
With the bypoll on April 23, politicians are again thinking about what to do. Sule’s announcement takes away a major person who might run, and makes it more likely that people will agree on something, at least in Baramati, and keeps the general power balance in the family and party the same.
What this means for wider state coalitions
Devendra Fadnavis, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, said people are trying to have the Baramati and Rahuri bypolls without a fight, by reaching agreement – though his party is still ready to compete if they have to. This shows he’s being sensible, to avoid strong arguments at a delicate time.
At the same time, the Maha Vikas Aghadi groups are still deciding on who to put up for the Rahuri ticket, as that seat became empty after a BJP member of the legislature died. What they decide there will test how well the coalition works, and show how political parties balance what they want to do with how it looks to agree with others.
Sule asks for a probe, and points to national policy problems
Apart from the agreement not to run in the election, Sule asked for a clear look into the Ajit Pawar plane crash, saying that clarity and people being held to account were needed. She put this as being for both the family and the public, and asked for a full investigation to answer questions that were still there.
Sule also brought up a separate national issue: a problem with LPG supply, connected to the trouble in West Asia. She criticised the national government for not making much of the issue, and called for a meeting of all parties to make a plan to protect industries like hotels and small businesses from fuel prices changing.
What to look for before the April 23 bypolls
Look for official nominations, and if Sunetra Pawar says she is officially a candidate for Baramati. Sule’s promise not to put up someone to compete makes the contest simpler, but parties could still team up or go against the arrangement, based on what they think is best for them.
The Rahuri seat will likely show more clearly how well the coalition can stick together. How the Maha Vikas Aghadi chooses a candidate there – and whether other parties accept agreeing with others – will show if the family-based restraint in Baramati becomes a wider rule, or stays a one-off.
Sule’s statement makes the Baramati bypoll about ‘family before politics’ but leaves a lot of political questions still open. The next few weeks should show if this idea will hold as parties pick candidates and voters get ready for the April elections.
