Sunetra Pawar leads Baramati bypoll with 26,773 votes after first round
Synopsis
In the Baramati bypoll, Sunetra Pawar has secured 26,773 of the first 27,264 votes counted — leaving all 22 other candidates with just 491 combined. The NCP Deputy CM is contesting the seat vacated by her late husband Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash, and early trends suggest a near-uncontested win in the Pawar family stronghold.
Key Takeaways
Sunetra Pawar (NCP) leads Baramati bypoll with 26,773 votes after the first round of counting on 4 May 2025 .
All other 22 candidates combined hold just 491 votes from the 27,264 counted so far.
The seat fell vacant after sitting MLA Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on 28 January .
BJP's Akshay Shivajirao Kardile leads in Rahuri with 11,071 votes after round two.
Bypolls were held on 9 April and 23 April across Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland , and Tripura .
Baramati has 3.84 lakh registered voters; final results expected by end of day.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar surged ahead in the Baramati assembly bypoll on 4 May, securing 26,773 votes out of 27,264 counted as of 9:40 am IST, according to Election Commission of India (ECI) trends. The margin over all other candidates combined stood at over 8,800 votes after the first round of counting, positioning her as the overwhelming frontrunner in the high-profile contest.
Early Counting Trends
With 27,264 votes tallied in the opening round, Sunetra Pawar held 26,773 of them, leaving all remaining 22 candidates with a combined tally of just 491 votes. The commanding lead reflects the near-total consolidation of votes in her favour, particularly after major opposition parties reportedly withdrew from the contest. The Baramati Assembly constituency has 3.84 lakh registered voters, and a total of 23 candidates were in the fray.
The Baramati Context
The seat fell vacant following the death of sitting MLA Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on 28 January. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, was fielded by the NCP to retain the constituency, which is widely regarded as a stronghold of the influential Pawar family in Pune district. The bypoll drew significant political attention given the family's deep roots in the region and the emotional weight of the contest.
Rahuri and Other Maharashtra Contests
In the Rahuri assembly constituency, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Akshay Shivajirao Kardile was ahead after the second round of counting, having amassed 11,071 votes, according to ECI data. The bypolls in Maharashtra were among several held across Gujarat, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura on 9 April and 23 April, necessitated by the deaths of sitting MLAs in the respective seats.
Broader Counting Underway
Simultaneously, vote counting is also underway for assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry, with final results expected by the end of the day as trends emerge through multiple counting rounds. The Baramati result, however, is expected to be among the earliest to be declared given the scale of the lead in early trends.
Point of View
773 votes against a combined opposition tally of 491 tells you the contest was decided before counting began. The withdrawal of major opposition parties effectively handed the seat to Sunetra Pawar, raising a legitimate question about whether this was a democratic exercise or a managed succession. The Pawar family's grip on Baramati has survived factional splits, anti-incumbency waves, and now bereavement — a remarkable feat of political entrenchment that few dynasties in Maharashtra can match. The real story here is not the margin, but what the uncontested nature of the win signals about NCP's local dominance heading into the next full assembly cycle.
NationPress
27 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is leading the Baramati bypoll as of the first round of counting?
NCP candidate and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is leading with 26,773 votes out of 27,264 counted after the first round, per ECI trends at 9:40 am on 4 May. All other candidates combined hold just 491 votes.
Why was the Baramati bypoll held?
The Baramati assembly seat fell vacant after sitting MLA Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on 28 January. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, was fielded by the NCP to contest the seat in the subsequent bypoll.
When were the Maharashtra bypolls held?
The bypolls were held on 9 April and 23 April across constituencies in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura. All were necessitated by the deaths of sitting MLAs in the respective seats.
Who is leading the Rahuri bypoll in Maharashtra?
BJP candidate Akshay Shivajirao Kardile is leading the Rahuri assembly constituency with 11,071 votes after the second round of counting, according to ECI data.
How many voters are registered in the Baramati constituency?
The Baramati Assembly constituency has 3.84 lakh registered voters. A total of 23 candidates, including Sunetra Pawar, contested the bypoll.
