Baramati, May 4 (IANS) As the counting of voting is underway for the Baramati Assembly constituency on Monday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Sunetra Pawar was seen leading in the early trends.

Sunetra Pawar, also the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, is leading with 44796, the Election Commission of India (ECI) trends showed at 11 a.m. She dedicated the result to the memory of her late husband, Ajit Pawar, and appealed to party workers and followers to avoid celebratory processions or throwing gulal.

Taking to X, Sunetra Pawar said, "As the results of the Baramati Assembly by-election are being declared today, I dedicate the trust shown by all of you through your votes to the sacred memories of the revered Ajit Dada."

"As this result is being declared today, the memories of the revered Dada have been illuminated, and we are all feeling emotional. I humbly request all the workers who loved Dada dearly that, as a celebration of this victory, no one should take out processions or throw gulal. Let us maintain restraint and behave in a manner befitting Dada's ideals," she said.

Expressing gratitude to the people of Baramati for the opportunity, Sunetra Pawar said, "This is not the end; this is just the beginning."

The Baramati Assembly constituency, which became vacant due to the accidental passing of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is currently undergoing the counting process for its high-stakes by-election.

Sunetra Pawar has maintained dominance since the first round, despite a competitive field of 22 candidates.

The bypolls were held on April 9 and April 23 across constituencies in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tripura. The elections were necessitated by the deaths of sitting MLAs in the respective seats, leading to closely watched contests between major political parties.

In Maharashtra, the Baramati seat in Pune district has drawn major attention as it is considered a stronghold of the influential Pawar family. The seat fell vacant after the death of sitting MLA Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28. His wife, NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is contesting from the constituency, making it one of the most high-profile contests in the bypolls.

The Baramati Assembly constituency has 3.84 lakh registered voters.

In all, 23 candidates, including Sunetra Pawar, were in the fray.

However, the withdrawal of major opposition parties has positioned Sunetra Pawar as the clear frontrunner to carry forward the Pawar legacy in the state Assembly.

--IANS

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