Mumbai: Congress said it is prepared to contest the Baramati assembly bypoll against deputy chief minister and NCP president Sunetra Pawar, but it may wait for some more time for its alliance partner, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), to decide first whether it wished to field a candidate.The bypoll for Baramati seat, which fell vacant following the death of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, is scheduled on April 23, along with Rahuri seat which became vacant after BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile passed away.Earlier, chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said he was exploring ways to ensure the election was held unopposed. In March, NCP (SP) MP and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule had stated that her party will not field a candidate against Sunetra Pawar.State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said the Baramati seat traditionally remained part of NCP’s quota within the alliance for decades, even after the formation of MVA, and therefore, the first claim on the seat rests with NCP (SP). “But if they do not contest, we will field a candidate,” he added.A senior Congress leader said, “The NCP witnessed a split in the party because both factions have a different stand [one is in support of BJP and other is against it]. Based on the same ideology, Pawar family members contested elections against each other in the Parliament and assembly elections. Now why are they changing their stand? We all feel sorry for the loss of Ajit Pawar, but it’s a matter of our stand to fight the election against the NCP-BJP alliance.“The senior leader added: “If NCP (SP) does not field a candidate against Sunetra Pawar, it means they are moving closer to BJP. Then what is their party’s stand? We will contest for the seat…and we have a candidate ready to give a good fight.”
