Maharashtra bypolls: Setting a record, Sunetra Pawar wins by margin of over 2.18 lakh votes

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP head Sunetra Pawar, contesting her first assembly poll, won the Baramati seat with a huge margin of 2,18,930 votes on Monday.

She marked a record-setting electoral victory in the bypolls by crossing the two lakh margin, while her husband, Ajit Pawar, succeeded with 1.95 lakh votes in the 2019 election. Ajit Dada won over his nearest rival by over 1.65 lakh votes, reportedly the highest victory margin recorded by a candidate in Maharashtra.

Earlier on Monday, the counting data released by Election Commission constantly showed her strongly ahead of her rivals. It was also noted that no major political party fielded candidates against her.

Moving towards a decisive win, she appealed to NCP workers and her supporters not to carry out victory processions.

In a post on X, the deputy CM said, "As the results are being declared today, I dedicate the trust reposed in me through your votes to the sacred memory of respected Ajit Dada (as he was fondly called). I humbly appeal to all party workers and supporters who deeply loved Dada not to take out victory processions or celebrate with gulal. Let us maintain restraint and conduct ourselves in a manner befitting his ideals."

"I sincerely thank the people of Baramati for giving me the opportunity to realise Dada's vision. This is not the end, but just the beginning - of determination, struggle, and a new Baramati," she added.

At around 11.30 am, the data showed Pawar leading by one lakh votes in Baramati. This came shortly after NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar expressed confidence in electoral success. He believed that the woman leader would emerge victorious with over 97 per cent votes.

Polling was held on April 23, with a voter turnout of 58.27 per cent recorded in Baramati.

Pawar secured 53,478 votes by the end of the sixth round of counting, while 21 of the other 22 little-known candidates have not been able to cross the 200-vote mark so far.

After her husband and then Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash this January, Sunetra took over his position in the Mahayuti alliance government.

Ajit Pawar had won the Baramati assembly seat, a bastion of the extended Pawar family, for the last several decades. In the 2024 assembly polls, he defeated his nephew Yugendra Pawar of the NCP (SP).

The Maharashtra assembly has 288 seats. As of Monday morning, the ruling Mahayuti alliance saw 235 seats (BJP-132, Shiv Sena-57, NCP Ajit-41, allies-5), while the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi combine has 50 seats (Shiv Sena UBT-20, Congress-16, NCP SP-10, others-4).