Congress to put up ‘nominal fight’ in Baramati bypoll: Ashok Chavan

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: BJP leader Ashok Chavan took a swipe at the Congress over its decision to contest the Baramati bypoll, claiming that the Opposition party is headed for a "nominal fight" in the constituency.

The Congress has nominated its state unit secretary, Akash More, for the April 23 by-election to the Baramati seat in Pune district, which has been necessitated due to the death of sitting NCP MLA and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28.

Ajit Pawar's wife, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is set to make her debut in the bypoll.

Speaking to reporters in Nanded on Sunday, Chavan said, "People know the condition of the Congress party better than me. It doesn't have a presence in Baramati. If the party contests the bypolls, it will be a nominal fight." While the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) had announced that it won't field a candidate against Sunetra Pawar as a mark of respect for her deceased husband, another Maha Vikas Aghadi member, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has also indicated its support for an unopposed election.

Notably, the Congress announced More's candidature hours after Sunetra Pawar dialled state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal and urged him to ensure an unopposed bypoll.