New Delhi, April 9 (NationPress) On Thursday, Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan officially administered the oath to Parth Pawar, a prominent leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), marking his entry as the newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) representing Maharashtra during a session at Parliament House.

The 35-year-old Parth Pawar took his oath in English, with notable figures in attendance including J. P. Nadda, the Leader of the House, and Jairam Ramesh, Congress Chief Whip, among several other political leaders.

Parth is the son of Ajit Pawar, a respected NCP leader who tragically lost his life in a plane crash earlier this year.

Before Ajit Pawar's untimely demise, his wife, Sunetra Pawar, had secured a seat in the Rajya Sabha. After the unfortunate event, she took on the role of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra but later resigned from her position in the Upper House.

Following this, Parth Pawar was elected to the Rajya Sabha, supported by the NCP's significant presence in the state Assembly, where they hold 40 MLAs. Previously, he contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 from the Maval constituency but faced defeat against Shrirang Barne of Shiv Sena.

In a related political development, Rohit Pawar, a legislator from NCP(SP), met with Harshwardhan Sapkal, the President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, on Thursday. He urged Sapkal to retract the party’s nominee Akash More in favor of enabling an unopposed election for NCP's Sunetra Pawar in the upcoming Baramati by-election on April 23.

This request is critical as Thursday marked the final date for withdrawal of nominations at 3 p.m., with 47 candidates having submitted their entries for the Baramati by-election.

After his meeting with Sapkal, Rohit Pawar stated to reporters, "I have requested the state Congress chief to withdraw their nominee, which would facilitate an unopposed election for Sunetra Pawar in the Baramati bypoll. This is essential as the bypoll follows the sudden loss of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and an unopposed election would serve as a tribute to him. The decision now lies with the Congress party, and I am optimistic about their response. As a national party, they will deliberate based on appropriate processes."

Rohit Pawar emphasized that the Congress party has maintained that the state government should file an FIR concerning the plane crash that claimed the life of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on January 28.

He highlighted that he has been advocating for this action for an extended period, and eventually, the FIR was lodged in Karnataka with the assistance of the Congress government.

During their meeting, Rohit Pawar managed to arrange a video call with Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala to discuss the sensitivity surrounding the situation.

"In light of the loss of a significant figure like Ajit Dada, it's crucial to approach this election with an emotional perspective as a genuine tribute to him," Rohit Pawar remarked.

"As a family member and a dedicated worker, I have urged Congress to withdraw their nomination," he continued.

Earlier, Sunetra Pawar had personally contacted Harshvardhan Sapkal multiple times to advocate for an unopposed election; however, the final decision from the Maharashtra Congress leadership has been referred to the "High Command" in Delhi.

"The decision regarding the Baramati contest was made at the national level. Thus, any intent to withdraw necessitates discussion with the High Command and adherence to their guidance," a source from Congress noted.