PUNE: Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is on track to script a record victory in the Baramati bypoll, potentially surpassing benchmarks set by both her husband Ajit Pawar and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar.
Historic Records in Baramati
Ajit Pawar's 2019 win by a margin of 1.65 lakh votes remains the highest victory margin in Maharashtra assembly elections. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar's 75% vote share for a winning candidate in 1990 is the highest ever recorded in the Baramati constituency. Although Ajit Pawar won the Baramati seat for seven consecutive terms, he could not cross the 75% vote share benchmark set by his uncle.
Current Trends
Early trends suggest that NCP chief Sunetra Pawar could challenge both records. As per the latest update at the end of the eighth round of counting, she is leading by 70,369 votes. Her nearest rival, a candidate from the New Rashtriya Samaj Party, is trailing far behind with just 273 votes, only marginally above NOTA (211 votes).
Counting Details
Counting of votes polled on April 23 for the Baramati bypoll is being conducted in 24 rounds, and over 2.23 lakh votes will be counted. As per reports, the national record for the highest victory margin in an assembly election stands at 2.14 lakh votes, set by BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Sharma from Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh in 2022.
Sandip Bandal, the president of NCP's Baramati unit, said, 'Sunetra Tai will break the national record today by securing more than 2.14 lakh votes.'
Sunetra's Appeal
Meanwhile, Sunetra in a social media post has appealed to supporters not to organize victory rallies or celebrations. She urged them to maintain restraint and avoid any public gatherings.
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