Maharashtra Rajya Sabha bypoll on June 18; NCP to pick Sunetra Pawar's successor
Synopsis
Sunetra Pawar's Rajya Sabha resignation after her record 2,18,000-vote Baramati win has triggered a fierce internal scramble inside the NCP. With the seat staying in the party's Mahayuti quota and the NCP core committee set to meet next week, the real contest may be less about the bypoll itself — which the ruling alliance is odds-on to win — and more about who controls the NCP's national footprint next.
Key Takeaways
The Election Commission of India has scheduled a Rajya Sabha bye-election for June 18 from Maharashtra.
The vacancy was created by Sunetra Pawar's resignation after her record 2,18,000-vote win in the Baramati Assembly bypoll .
Chhagan Bhujbal , Avinash Adik , and members of the Ajit Pawar family are among the names being discussed as potential nominees.
The NCP core committee is expected to meet next week to finalise the party's candidate.
The Mahayuti alliance holds a comfortable Assembly majority, making it the heavy favourite for the seat.
Elections for 17 MLC seats are also scheduled for June 18 , adding to the political stakes.
The Election Commission of India has scheduled a Rajya Sabha bye-election for June 18 from Maharashtra, following the resignation of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar from the Upper House of Parliament. Pawar tendered her resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, vacating her seat after her landslide victory in the Baramati Assembly bypoll, where she secured a record-breaking winning margin of over 2,18,000 votes.
What Triggered the Vacancy
Sunetra Pawar's decision to step down from the Rajya Sabha came after she committed to a full-focus role in state politics, assuming her position in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Her departure from the Upper House has now set off an intense intra-party and intra-alliance contest for the newly vacated Delhi seat, which falls within the NCP's quota in the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
Key Contenders Within NCP
Senior party leaders are actively lobbying for the ticket. Veteran minister Chhagan Bhujbal is among the frontrunners, with his camp citing his extensive legislative experience as a strong credential for national representation. Bhujbal is also the founder of the Samata Parishad, which works on welfare and reservation issues.
According to party insiders, Bhujbal has reportedly conveyed to the party president that his nephew Sameer Bhujbal should be inducted into the state Cabinet if he vacates his seat for the Rajya Sabha. Sameer Bhujbal would subsequently contest the state Assembly from Yevala constituency in Nashik district. However, the party has not yet formally considered this proposal.
Speculation has also surfaced around the Ajit Pawar family's next generation, though younger son Jay Pawar has publicly clarified that he remains focused on ground-level work in Maharashtra. Another name in circulation is party general secretary Avinash Adik, son of veteran leader Govindrao Adik from the politically active Ahilyanagar district. Party insiders suggest the final call will rest heavily with Sunetra Pawar herself.
NCP Core Committee to Meet Next Week
The NCP core committee, headed by Sunetra Pawar, is expected to convene next week to finalise the party's nominee for the bypoll. The Mahayuti alliance — comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and the NCP — commands a comfortable majority in the state Assembly, making the arithmetic of the bypoll heavily favourable to the ruling bloc.
Broader Political Context
The June 18 bypoll does not occur in isolation. It coincides with elections for 17 Legislative Council (MLC) seats on the same date, adding another layer of strategic complexity to ongoing seat-sharing negotiations within the Mahayuti alliance. The Rajya Sabha ticket is widely seen as a prestigious bargaining chip in these broader alliance discussions.
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) — chose not to field a candidate against Sunetra Pawar in the Baramati Assembly bypoll as a gesture of political courtesy. Whether the MVA will extend the same restraint for this Rajya Sabha seat, or force a contest, remains the defining question ahead of the June 18 vote. Closed-door meetings in both Delhi and Mumbai are expected to intensify as the nomination deadline approaches.
Point of View
In electoral terms, a foregone conclusion — the Mahayuti alliance's Assembly majority makes it nearly uncontestable. The real story is the NCP's internal power dynamics: who Sunetra Pawar chooses to elevate will signal whether the party is consolidating around the Pawar family's inner circle or making room for veterans like Bhujbal who have waited long for a national platform. The Bhujbal proposal — where he trades his Assembly seat for the Rajya Sabha berth while engineering a Cabinet entry for his nephew — is a classic Maharashtra political manoeuvre that, if accepted, would reshape the party's state-level arithmetic too. The MVA's decision on whether to contest will be the secondary but telling subplot.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there a Rajya Sabha bypoll in Maharashtra on June 18?
The bypoll was triggered by the resignation of NCP President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar from the Rajya Sabha. She vacated her Upper House seat after winning the Baramati Assembly bypoll by a record margin of over 2,18,000 votes and committing to a full-time role in the state legislature.
Who are the likely NCP candidates for the Maharashtra Rajya Sabha seat?
Veteran minister Chhagan Bhujbal is among the frontrunners, along with party general secretary Avinash Adik. There is also speculation around members of the Ajit Pawar family, though Jay Pawar has said he is focused on state-level work. The final decision is expected to rest with Sunetra Pawar.
When will the NCP decide its Rajya Sabha nominee?
The NCP core committee, headed by Sunetra Pawar, is expected to meet next week to finalise the party's candidate for the June 18 bypoll. No formal announcement has been made yet.
Will the Opposition MVA contest the Rajya Sabha bypoll?
As of now, it is unclear. The Maha Vikas Aghadi — comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) — did not field a candidate against Sunetra Pawar in the Baramati Assembly bypoll. Whether they extend the same courtesy for this Rajya Sabha seat remains an open question ahead of the June 18 vote.
What else is happening on June 18 in Maharashtra politics?
Alongside the Rajya Sabha bypoll, elections for 17 Legislative Council (MLC) seats are also scheduled for June 18. This overlap has intensified seat-sharing negotiations within the Mahayuti alliance, with the Rajya Sabha ticket seen as a key bargaining chip.
