Voting began on Thursday morning, April 23, in the Baramati and Rahuri assembly bypolls in Maharashtra. Polling began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who is contesting from Baramati, paid tribute to former Deputy CM and his husband late Ajit Pawar in Baramati. She has urged voters to support her as a tribute to Ajit 'Dada'.
The bypoll has been necessitated by then Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash on January 28. There are 23 candidates, including Sunetra Pawar, in the fray. The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 3.84 lakh.
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BJP's Akshay Kardile is in the fray in the Rahuri bypoll. He is pitted against NCP-SP candidate Govind Mokate and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Santosh Chalke. The Rahuri seat became vacant after BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile's death in October last year. Akshay is his son.
Late NCP Leader Ajit Pawar’s Son Parth Pawar Casts His Vote in By-Election
Maharashtra Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar casts her vote at a polling station in Gangubai Kante Zilla Parishad Primary School, in Baramati. "Baramati people knows that dada (Ajit Pawar) has done for so many years is very important. Today is an important day for voting," Sunetra Pawar said.
"The people of Baramati have been standing in support of the 'Pawar' family for the last 60 years. This election is taking place in the absence of Dada and all the people of Baramati have decided to cast their votes for Dada as a tribute to him," she said further to media.
Maharashtra assembly has 288 seats. The ruling Mahayuti alliance has 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).