Uddhav may back Sunetra Pawar in Baramati bypoll; Congress stands firm on contest

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is likely to support Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar by not fielding a candidate in the Baramati Assembly bypoll, party sources said here on Saturday.

According to sources, even if the Congress fields a candidate from Baramati, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will stand by Sunetra Pawar. Thackeray himself is expected to hold a press conference on Sunday, April 5, 2026, to make an official announcement.

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Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said on Saturday that “Uddhav Thackeray and Ajit Pawar share an emotional relationship. Therefore, Uddhav Thackeray himself will speak about his decision regarding the Baramati by-election.”

The development comes after Sunetra Pawar reportedly called Uddhav Thackeray on Friday to seek his party’s support.

Meanwhile, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), now headed in the state by Sunetra Pawar, has begun efforts to make the Baramati by-election uncontested. She is expected to file her nomination on Monday, April 6, 2026—the last date for filing nominations.

Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 7, while the last date for withdrawal is April 9. Polling is scheduled for April 23, and counting of votes will be held on May 4, after which the results will be declared.

In a parallel development, senior leader Jayantrao Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) met Sharad Pawar at his ‘Silver Oak’ residence in Mumbai to discuss the bypoll and the Congress’s move to field a candidate.

State NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) president Shashikant Shinde has already announced that his party will not contest the Baramati seat.

However, the Congress has maintained its stand. Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal said on Saturday that the party has screened candidates for the Baramati and Rahuri Assembly by-elections.

“Discussions have been held with all state leaders, and dialogue is ongoing at the national level. Our position has also been conveyed to NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) state president Shashikant Shinde,” Sapkal said.

He added that the Congress will announce its candidate for the Baramati bypoll by Sunday afternoon and clarified, “No one from the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) has contacted us so far, nor has any proposal been received from the BJP.”