As widely anticipated, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sunetra Pawar Monday won the Baramati Assembly bypoll by a record margin of over 2.18 lakh votes. In the process, she also surpassed her late husband Ajit Pawar’s record victory margin of 1.65 lakh votes.

Poll officials said the exact margin of victory will be available later in the day.

“We have been saying that Sunera Pawar will win by a record margin of votes and even break Ajit Pawar’s record. It has come true. It is a glorious victory which is a tribute from Baramatikars to their Ajit Dada, who led our party from the front and served Maharashtra till his last breath,” Sunil Tatkare, State president of NCP, told The Indian Express.

Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Gopal Tiwari said, “Sunetra Pawar was a Mahayuti candidate. And was supported by the Maha Vikas Aghadi. It was expected that she would secure a record victory and it has happened.”

Sunetra Pawar’s younger son, Jay Pawar, went to Ajit Pawar’s memorial to pay his respects after his mother’s poll victory. “Everyone took this election into their own hands for their leader, Ajit Pawar. People of Baramati have always supported my parents.”

When he was asked about the possible merger of two NCPs, Jay said, “I cannot decide alone regarding the future path or the merger of the two NCP factions. A merger needs to happen between both parties. Therefore, if the senior leaders of both parties decide something regarding a merger or hold discussions on it, the scenario could look different in the future.”

Jay said a ‘janata darbar’ (public grievance meeting) will be held every Thursday in Baramati.

‘A true tribute to Ajit Dada’s work’

In a social media post, Sunetra Pawar expressed her “heartfelt gratitude to all the people of Baramati for electing me with a big margin of votes”.

“The trust, love, and support shown by the people of Baramati are extremely precious to me. This was the first election in Baramati held after Ajitdada’s death. Today, the absence of his guidance and presence is deeply felt. For me, this victory is not just a political success but a true tribute to Ajit Dada’s work and his memory. The work Ajit Dada did for Maharashtra and Baramati, his bond with the people, and his vision for development remain alive in everyone’s heart even today. His thoughts and values give me the strength to move forward,” she said.

She also thanked senior leaders, office-bearers, and workers of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

“This victory was made possible only because of people’s tireless efforts. I also express my sincere gratitude to all the constituent parties of the Mahayuti and Mahavikas Aghadi, all other supporting friendly parties, and various institutions and organizations involved in this election.”

“While preserving the heritage of the ideology of great men like Shiv-Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar, I remain determined to walk the path shown by Yashwantrao Chavan and Ajit Dada. Let us all work together for the development of Baramati, keeping the youth, farmers, women, entrepreneurs, and all sections of society at the centre. Elections come and go, but the harmony and affection of Baramati must remain intact. Therefore, let us celebrate this victory through our work instead of any grand celebrations. I will never let the trust placed in me by the people of Baramati falter,” she added.

Hit the ground running

From the counting of postal ballots and the very first round, Sunetra Pawar surged ahead, leaving all 22 Independent candidates far behind. By the 10th round, only one Independent had managed to cross the 100-vote mark.

Her lead only widened with each round, culminating in a decisive victory margin of over 2.18 lakh votes out of a total of around 2.24 lakh votes. Independents together failed to cross even 6,000 votes.

In the process, Sunetra Pawar surpassed a benchmark her husband, Ajit Pawar, never reached in his eight electoral contests, his highest being 1.95 lakh votes in the 2019 Assembly election.

In the same 2019 election, he defeated BJP’s Gopichand Padalkar by a margin of 1.65 lakh votes, a state record. Padalkar added colour to the election through aggressive campaigning. However, it petered out into a no-contest with Ajit Pawar winning by a record margin of 1.65 lakh votes.

The election to the Baramati Assembly seat was necessitated by the death of Ajit Pawar, who had held the seat since 1991.

Unprecedented political unity

What is significant about Sunetra Pawar’s victory march is that she hardly campaigned, which was limited to regular morning walks in Baramati city.

It was Jay Pawar, who criss-crossed Baramati, including more than 100 villages, met villagers, heard their grievances, and promised to resolve them. Photos and videos of his interaction with Baramati villagers had gone viral. ”Our prominent leaders were present when the campaign was flagged off and when the campaign concluded,” said Tatkare.

While NCP (SP) backed Sunetra Pawar, Baramati MP Supriya Sule and NCP (SP) national chief Sharad Pawar were not seen during the campaigning. Sule was present only at the concluding day rally when she appealed to voters to ensure the victory of Sunetra Pawar.

However, other Pawar family members, including the families of Rohit Pawar, MLA of NCP (SP) and Yugendra Pawar, who had contested the 2024 elections against Ajit Pawar, campaigned for their “Sunetra Kaki.”

Besides the Mahayuti parties, even the Maha Vikas Aghadi supported Sunetra Pawar. Though the Congress had fielded its candidates, it withdrew him following requests from Sunetra Pawar, Sharad Pawar, and Supriya Sule.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also emphasised the need for an unopposed election, which failed to materialise despite the opposition not fielding candidates. Some Independents withdrew from the race, while 22 refused to do so.

The Pawar family has never lost the Baramati seat, whether in the Maharashtra Assembly or Lok Sabha. First, it was Sharad Pawar who had won the Baramati assembly seat from 1967, and then it was Ajit Pawar who first won the seat in a by-election in 1991. After that, Ajit Pawar won the Baramati seat in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.

Every time he contested, Ajit Pawar won by a huge margin. In 2019, the BJP’s Gopichand Padalkar added colour to the election through aggressive campaigning. However, it petered out into a no-contest with Ajit Pawar winning by a record margin of 1.65 lakh votes.