Mumbai, 4 May

Jay Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, on Monday thanked voters for their faith in his mother, who is poised to win the Baramati assembly bypoll, while urging supporters to refrain from celebrations once the result is declared.

Sunetra Pawar, who heads the NCP, bagged more than 2 lakh votes at the end of the 13th round of counting, taking a decisive lead over her 22 rivals, who could not even cross the 500-vote mark, according to the latest data on the Election Commission's website.

The byelection, held on 23 April, was necessitated due to the death of the then Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) head Ajit Pawar in a plane crash near Baramati airstrip in Pune district on 28 January.

His wife Sunetra Pawar, contesting her first assembly poll, is poised for a huge win riding a sympathy wave, and given her family's strong hold on the constituency. No major political party has fielded candidates against her.

"None of us wanted to have such an election. There has also been an unfortunate incident in neighbouring Bhor tehsil (where a four-year-old child was raped and murdered). We do not wish to celebrate this victory," Jay Pawar told reporters in Baramati.

Sunetra Pawar also appealed to the party workers and supporters not to take out victory processions or celebrate with 'gulal' once the result is declared.

She dedicated the trust placed in her by voters to the memory of her late husband, Ajit Pawar, and urged people to exercise restraint and uphold conduct that reflects his ideals.

Asked about him leading the byelection campaign, Jay Pawar said the success was not a solitary effort. "I was not alone in this. Every well-wisher was with us in this campaign and voting. We could achieve it only because of it," he stated.

Jay Pawar, an NCP functionary, further said he would remain available for the people of the constituency every Thursday to address their concerns.

Commenting on the unopposed appointment of Union Minister and BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol as the chief of the Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA), a post previously held by Ajit Pawar, he said his party had wished to retain the chairman's position.

"I also received several calls from the sports fraternity regarding it yesterday, but today's result (of the Baramati assembly bypoll) was crucial for us. We could not take a call regarding it yesterday. If possible, this issue can be discussed with the chief minister," Jay Pawar added.