On Monday, Congress leader Akash More submitted his nomination for the by-election scheduled on April 23 in Baramati. His party, however, has emphasized that it cannot endorse any candidate affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during this electoral contest.<\/p>\n
The Congress party’s stance is rooted in a commitment to preserving democratic principles and constitutional integrity, which they believe have been undermined by the BJP, rather than merely opposing Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.<\/p>\n
Atul Londhe, the party’s chief spokesperson, addressed the criticism surrounding their decision to participate in the election. He pointed out that there have been precedents where elections were conducted following the deaths of political figures, such as Vasantrao Chavan in Nanded and Bhagirath Bhalke in Mangalwedha. Londhe argued that the BJP has selectively engaged in political maneuvering based on its interests.<\/p>\n
He also referenced the inquiry initiated by Sunetra Pawar concerning the death of former deputy CM Ajit Pawar and questioned the status of that investigation. Londhe highlighted the struggle faced by Rohit Pawar in filing a First Information Report (FIR) in Maharashtra, emphasizing that the Congress candidate believes an FIR should be filed in Baramati.<\/p>\n
Congress insiders indicated that no outreach was made by the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to the state Congress leadership in the past month to discuss a potential consensus. In Baramati, NCP working president Praful Patel mentioned his attempts to connect with Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, which were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n
A senior Congress figure stated, \u201cThe decision to contest was made by the Maharashtra leadership. There was no initiative to communicate with us. As far as we know, Kharge ji has delegated the decision regarding the bypoll to the state unit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Congress representatives have also made it clear to their partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) that they are unwilling to allow this election to proceed unopposed, as they refuse to align with the BJP.<\/p>\n
Responding to criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut in the party\u2019s publication Saamana, AICC secretary Sachin Sawant remarked that Raut often fails to distinguish between his roles as both a journalist and a political spokesperson. He accused Raut of neglecting the need for consultation within the alliance, stating that it is inappropriate to make unilateral decisions and then seek input from Congress leaders.<\/p>\n
Alok Deshpande serves as a Special Correspondent for The Indian Express in Mumbai, recognized for his insightful reporting on governance, politics, and socio-economic issues in Maharashtra’s rural areas. His academic background in Geology, combined with prior work in the water sector, enhances his expertise in reporting on critical environmental matters.<\/p>\n
Deshpande\u2019s journalism focuses on significant political and administrative developments, including state assembly activities, financial policies, rural issues, and urban governance matters.<\/p>\n
With a post-graduate degree in Geology and experience in the non-profit sector, Deshpande brings a unique perspective to his reporting, reinforcing his credibility as a knowledgeable voice on Maharashtra\u2019s governance and socio-political landscape.<\/p>\n
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On Monday, Congress leader Akash More submitted his nomination for the by-election scheduled on April 23 in Baramati. His party, however, has emphasized that it cannot endorse any candidate affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during this electoral contest. The Congress party’s stance is rooted in a commitment to preserving democratic principles and constitutional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3801,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[78,40,144],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-cities","category-india","category-in-mumbai"],"yoast_head":"\n