MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar has been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital following a deterioration in his health and will not be able to vote in the Baramati Assembly bypoll scheduled for April 23.
According to party sources and statements, the 85-year-old leader was admitted to the hospital two days ago after returning from Delhi. While initial reports suggested a possible discharge, doctors have advised against travel and recommended rest, ruling out his visit to the Pawar family bastion Baramati.
Will Miss Voting for the First Time Since 1967
In a public statement, Pawar said he has exercised his franchise in the Baramati constituency continuously since 1967 but will be unable to do so this time due to medical advice.
He stated that he had intended to travel to Baramati to vote, in keeping with his long-standing practice. However, a sudden health setback led to his hospitalisation in Mumbai, and doctors have strictly advised him not to travel outside the city.
Pawar also said he explored the possibility of alternative voting arrangements with election authorities, but was informed that no such provisions were available, leaving him with no option but to abstain.
Baramati Bypoll Triggered by Ajit Pawar’s Death
The by-election in Baramati has been necessitated following the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28. Polling will take place on April 23, with results scheduled for May 4.
In the contest, the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s wife – Sunetra Pawar is the candidate backed by the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Notably, Pawar’s own faction, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction), has also extended support to her, describing it as a tribute to his late nephew and former Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar who died in an unfortunate plane crash.
No Direct Contest from Opposition Bloc
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has effectively stayed out of a direct contest. While the Congress had initially fielded a candidate, it later withdrew. A total of 23 candidates remain in the fray, though the contest is widely seen as centred on Sunetra Pawar who is also the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the chief of the NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction.
Despite his absence from the campaign’s concluding rally in Baramati, Pawar timed a public message during the event, appealing to voters to support of niece-in-law Sunetra Pawar.
मी १९६७ मध्ये लढविलेल्या पहिल्या निवडणुकीपासून बारामती मतदारसंघातील माझ्या मतदानाचा हक्क अखंडपणे बजावला. आता २०२६ मध्ये बारामती विधानसभा मतदारसंघात महाराष्ट्राचे एक लाडके व लोकप्रिय नेते स्व. अजित पवार यांच्या दुर्दैवी, अपघाती निधनाच्या शोकात्म पार्श्वभूमीवर ही पोटनिवडणुक होत…
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) April 21, 2026
He expressed confidence that the electorate, which has backed him for decades, would respond to his appeal.
Voting for the Baramati Assembly bypoll is scheduled for April 23 under standard election protocols. Pawar’s absence from both the campaign trail and the polling booth marks a notable departure from his decades-long electoral routine, though the polling process itself remains unaffected.
