3 min readPuneUpdated: Feb 25, 2026 12:51 PM IST
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who is not a member of either House of the state legislature, will contest the Baramati Assembly bypoll and her son, Parth, will be nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said on Wednesday.
“We have taken a decision regarding nominating Parth for the Rajya Sabha. Similarly, Sunetra Pawar will contest from Baramati,” state NCP president Sunil Tatkare told The Indian Express. The decision was taken at an NCP core committee meeting on Monday. “We will finalise the names today. The announcement will be made either today or tomorrow,” Tatkare added.
The Baramati seat fell vacant after Ajit Pawar, who won the Assembly constituency for a record eight times, died in a plane crash on January 28. Following his death, his wife Sunetra took over as the deputy chief minister. However, she is neither an MLC nor an MLA, and will have to get elected to either of the two Houses of the state legislature within six months of taking oath as the deputy CM.
The State Election Commission has yet to announce the date for the Baramati bye-election.
When the bypoll takes place, there is a possibility that Sunetra Pawar will be elected unopposed. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has allotted the Baramati seat to the NCP (SP), and the Sharad Pawar-led party may not field a candidate against her, sources said. When asked about this, Tatkare said, “Let us see…we will certainly try for an unopposed election.”
The NCP is also set to announce Sunetra Pawar’s name as the national president of the party. Ajit Pawar was the party president after his faction split and joined the BJP’s Mahayuti government. “Yes, Sunetra Pawar’s name as national president will also be announced today or tomorrow. We have our final meeting on the issue today,” Tatkare said.
Meanwhile, Parth Pawar, who is set to become a Rajya Sabha MP, had earlier set his eyes on the Lok Sabha. In 2019, he had contested from the Maval Lok Sabha seat but was defeated by a big margin of votes by Shrirang Barne of the undivided Shiv Sena.
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Late last year, Parth landed in a controversy over a land deal in Pune’s Mundhwa. The controversy related to the purchase of 40 acres of land by Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth is a partner. The land, estimated to cost Rs 1,800 crore, was purchased for Rs 300 crore, and the firm was also accused of evading stamp duty worth Rs 21 crore.
Though an FIR was filed against revenue officials and the firm’s director, no case was made out against Parth. Even the Kharge committee appointed to probe the matter has cleared Parth. “Neither was an FIR filed against Parth nor has the committee recommended any action against him. Parth should have no problem in making it to the Rajya Sabha,” an NCP leader said.
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