The counting of votes for bypolls to the Baramati and Rahuri assembly seats in Maharashtra got underway on Monday, May 4.
As reported by news agency PTI, a voter turnout of 58.27 per cent was recorded in the Baramati assembly constituency, where Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is contesting, while Rahuri registered a 56.20 per cent turnout, as per election officials.
The counting of votes began at 8 am in both the assembly segments.
The Baramati seat in Pune district fell vacant following the death of then Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party president Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28, necessitating the bypoll.
Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, who is contesting her first assembly election, is among the 23 candidates in the fray. Earlier, she had appealed to voters during the campaign to support her as a tribute to her late husband.
Sunetra Pawar is expected to secure a comfortable win
No major political party fielded a candidate against her, and she is expected to secure a comfortable victory given her family`s hold over the constituency.
The Rahuri assembly seat in Ahilyanagar district fell vacant due to the death of BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile in October last year.
His son Akshay Kardile contested the bypoll as a BJP candidate. His rivals include NCP (SP) nominee Govind Mokate and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi`s Santosh Chalke.
Maharashtra Deputy CM raises doubts over Ajit Pawar`s plane crash
Earlier, on April 21, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Sunetra Pawar, ahead of the by-elections, spoke about the plane crash that claimed her husband Ajit Pawar’s life, saying that, like many others, she too has doubts about the incident, as she called for a thorough investigation and strict punishment for those responsible.
On the final day of the campaigning, the Deputy CM, in her public address on the final day of campaigning for the Baramati Assembly Constituency by-election, emphasised the need for justice.
She said, “Both the state and central governments are extending full support. But the culprits should be punished.”
Ajit Pawar’s nephew and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) legislator Rohit Pawar has been pursuing the Maharashtra government to file a first information report (FIR) in the plane crash case and has raised several doubts over the incident. However, as Maharashtra has not filed an FIR, Rohit Pawar went to Karnataka and got a zero FIR registered in the January 28 plane crash case, which Fadnavis termed an illegal move.
(With inputs from PTI)
