Maharashtra Bypolls: Baramati, Rahuri Bypolls See Low Morning Turnout

Baramati recorded 20.55 per cent voting, while Rahuri registered 18.22 per cent voter turnout till 11 am on Thursday as polling was underway for bypolls to the two assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, election officials said.

Voting began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm, they said.

Bypoll to the Baramati assembly seat in Pune district was necessitated by the death of then Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) head Ajit Pawar in an air crash on January 28. His wife, Deputy CM and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar, and 22 other candidates are in the fray.

The Rahuri assembly seat in Ahilyanagar district became vacant after BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile’s death in October last year. His son Akshay Kardile is in the fray from the seat, pitted against NCP (SP) candidate Govind Mokate and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s Santosh Chalke.

Riding a sympathy wave, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has urged voters in Baramati to support her as a tribute to her late husband Ajit Pawar. The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 3.84 lakh.

Sunetra Pawar, Ajit Pawar's younger brother Srinivas Pawar and his wife, Sharmila, cast their votes at the Katewadi polling booth in Baramati early in the morning.

There is no candidate in the fray from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) against Sunetra Pawar.

The rival NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar decided not to field a candidate against her. While ally Congress gave candidature to Akash More, the party later decided to withdraw his name.

Election officials in Baramati said elaborate arrangements have been made to facilitate the smooth conduct of the polling.

"To ensure that the scorching heat does not dampen the spirit of voters, we have installed mandaps (sheds) outside polling booths, and water coolers have been placed to ensure access to drinking water," an official said.

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).

In the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, the ruling Mahayuti alliance has 235 seats (BJP-132, Shiv Sena-57, NCP-41, allies-5), while the Opposition MVA combine has 50 seats (Shiv Sena UBT-20, Congress-16, NCP SP-10, others-4).