By-elections for the Baramati and Rahuri assembly constituencies in Maharashtra will take place on April 23, following the demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and senior BJP legislator Shivaji Kardile from Rahuri.
Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is set to be the NCP-NDA candidate in Baramati, and efforts are underway to secure her unopposed election. In a gesture of respect for the late Ajit Pawar, the opposition MVA, which includes Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), has decided not to field a candidate in Baramati.
Rahuri, however, is likely to witness a contest. The BJP is expected to field Akshay Kardile, the son of Shivaji Kardile. In the 2024 assembly elections, Kardile defeated the NCP (SP) candidate Prajakt Tanpure in the seat.
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Tanpure, a strong contender and a close relative of senior NCP (SP) leader and legislator Jayant Patil, has expressed interest in contesting the by-election. It’s likely that Tanpure will receive the NCP (SP)'s ticket once again.
Whether Akshay can defeat Tanpure merely based on a sympathy wave is a big question faced by the BJP. This uncertainty has led the BJP to push for an unopposed election in Rahuri, similar to Baramati.
If a contest is inevitable in Rahuri, the BJP may consider fielding a more experienced candidate to challenge Tanpure.