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The long-observed political convention in Maharashtra of facilitating unopposed byelections in constituencies following the death of sitting legislators is steadily losing relevance, with electoral compulsions increasingly taking precedence over sentiment and legacy.

An analysis of the bypoll trends over the past decade indicates that more than three-fourths of such vacancies have led to contests, reflecting the intense competition between parties in a politically fragmented landscape.

Maharashtra’s political culture allows smooth entry to the kin of the deceased

Traditionally, political parties in Maharashtra have refrained from fielding candidates against kin of deceased legislators as a mark of respect, allowing them a smooth entry into electoral politics.

However, this convention, once considered part of the state`s political culture, now appears to be the exception rather than the rule.

All eyes on the Baramati by-polls

Furthermore, the upcoming Baramati assembly byelection, necessitated by the demise of then Deputy CM and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, stands out as a rare instance in which the older norm briefly resurfaced.

The contest appeared imminent but ultimately didn`t materialise after Congress withdrew its candidate at the eleventh hour. Ajit Pawar`s wife, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is the main contestant in the fray, though some Independents are still in the contest for the April 23 bypoll.

While several bypolls in the last few years have witnessed intense electoral battles, the battle at Baramati looks a bit tricky. 

By-elections that turned into high-stakes contests

As per PTI, the Kasba Peth byelection in 2023, held after the death of sitting MLA Girish Bapat of the BJP, turned into a high-stakes contest, ultimately resulting in victory for Ravindra Dhangekar, who contested on a Congress ticket.

Similarly, the Chinchwad bypoll also saw a multi-cornered fight despite the BJP fielding a family member of the deceased legislator. The BJP had fielded Ashwini Jagtap, widow of Laxman Jagtap. Notably, the NCP (undivided) entered the poll fray. However, its candidate, Vitthal Alias Nana Krushnaji Kate, lost the contest.

Earlier, the Andheri East assembly bypoll in 2022 briefly revived the tradition when a major party withdrew its nominee following appeals from various quarters, virtually giving a walkover to Rutuja Latke of Shiv Sena (UBT), wife of the late MLA Ramesh Latke.

Data suggests that since 2014, more than 15 byelections in Maharashtra, both to the assembly and Lok Sabha, have been necessitated due to the death of sitting members, and only a handful of these witnessed unopposed outcomes, underscoring the declining relevance of the informal “no-contest” understanding.

In assembly constituencies such as Kolhapur North, Pandharpur, and Bandra East, parties defied the convention of not fielding candidates, prioritising electoral arithmetic and organisational strength, leading to full-fledged polling exercises, political observers noted.

BJP`s and Congress’s intense battle in 2022

The Congress and BJP fought an intense battle for Kolhapur North in 2022. A contest unfolded in the Deglur segment in 2021. The son of the late Congress MLA Raosaheb Antapurkar retained the seat by defeating his BJP challenger.

In the 2021 bypoll to the Pandharpur assembly seat, the BJP wrested the seat from the NCP (undivided).

The BJP had fielded ex-chief minister Narayan Rane from the Bandra (East) seat in the bypoll held in 2015, but he lost to Trupti Sawant, wife of the late MLA Prakash Sawant (Shiv Sena).

(With inputs from PTI)