Voting Begins in Baramati Bypoll for Sunetra Pawar

Voting began early Thursday in the Baramati assembly constituency in Maharashtra, where Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar cast her ballot in a bypoll triggered by the death of her husband, former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in an air crash on January 28. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 6 p.m., with approximately 3.8 lakh registered voters eligible to participate in the contest involving 23 candidates, most of them independents.

Sunetra Pawar, who assumed the deputy chief minister position on January 31 following her husband's passing, is contesting from the seat to comply with constitutional requirements that she secure election to the state legislature within six months. As the candidate of the ruling NCP faction led by her late husband, she faces no significant opposition, after the Congress party withdrew its nominee at the urging of family elders. The bypoll unfolds amid a strong sympathy wave, with Pawar appealing to voters to turn out in large numbers as a mark of respect to Ajit Pawar, affectionately known as "Dada."

Speaking to reporters after voting, Sunetra Pawar described the atmosphere as emotional, noting the enduring support for her...