Voting began on Thursday morning for bypolls to three seats in Maharashtra and Gujarat. In Maharashtra, Baramati and Rahuri are up for grabs, and in Gujarat, the bypoll is underway in Umreth constituency.
The voting began at 7 am on Thursday and was expected to conclude at 6 pm. The results will be announced on May 4, 2026, along with the results for assembly elections being held in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
In Baramati, deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar, who is contesting from Baramati, is riding a sympathy wave and has a higher chance of winning after the death of her husband and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar earlier this year.
Speaking to reporters outside a polling station, Pawar who had come to cast her vote, told reporters that the people of Baramati are voting in this election to show their love for the late Ajit Pawar, ANI reported.
Meanwhile, NCP leader Sharad Pawar will not be casting his vote for the Baramati Assembly by-election due to health-related issues, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sunetra Pawar, ANI news agency reported.
In Ruhari, BJP's Akshay Kardile is pitted against NCP (SP) candidate Govind Mokate and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Santosh Chalke. The seat became vacant after BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile's death in October last year.
In Gujarat's Umreth, a total of six candidates are in the fray, with a direct contest between BJP’s Harshad Parmar and Congress’ Bhrigurajsinh Chauhan.
As of 9 am, voter turnout in Maharashtra's Baramati, Rahuri and Gujarat's Umreth stand at 8.01 per cent, 6.39 per cent, and 10 per cent, respectively.
