Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Election Results 2024 are set to be declared on Saturday, November 23. Baramati City, located in the western section of the state, falls under the Pune Division. The constituency is part of the 288 Vidhan Sabha (state legislative assembly). This is constituency number 201 in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The Baramati Assembly constituency is a part of the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency.

The Lok Sabha constituency encompasses Daund, Purandar, Bhor, Indapur, and Khadakwasla as well. As per the 2011 census, the city recorded a population of around Baramati taluka with a population of 429,600 and a literacy rate of 82.27%. 

The Nationalist Congress Party secured victory in the 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections. Baramati is located in the Pune district of the Maharashtra State. 

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Nationalist Congress Party –Sharadchandra Pawar candidate Supriya Sule won the Baramati Lok Sabha (MP) Seat with a margin of 158333 votes by defeating Sunetra Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party.

History of Baramati Assembly constituency 

Since 1978, NCP has achieved victory 5 times, while BJP has secured it 2 times. In 1978, the Independent’s Satpute Bhaguji Niwarte secured the seat and garnered a total of 19,010 votes. In 1980, Gangadhar Nilkanth Swami from the Indian National Congress (U) secured the position, beating Veena Bansilal Khare of INC (I).

In 1985, Bhaguji Nivartti Satpute from the Indian Congress (Socialist) secured the position by overcoming INC’s Anant Shankarrao Jagatkar. In 1990, BJP candidate Vimal Nandkishor Mundada secured the seat by garnering 35,957 votes, defeating INC’s Bhaguji Niwarti Satpute. In 1995, BJP’s Dr Vimaltai Nandkishore Mundada triumphed over INC’s Satpute Bhagoji Nivrutti Rao.

In 1999, Dr. Mundada Vimaltai Nandkishor from the Nationalist Congress Party secured the seat with a margin of 45,835 votes over BJP’s Shete Devendra Purshottam. Dr. Vimaltai Nandkishor Mundada of the NCP secured the seat by defeating BJP candidate Wadmare Chandrashekhar Vishnupant in the 2004 assembly election. NCP has secured the seat in the elections of 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. In the 2024 Assembly election, Ajit Pawar from NCP will be fighting against NCP’s (SP) Rahul Kalate. 

Questioning the sanctity of the election process and accuracy of election results which are to be declared on counting day scheduled on Saturday (23, November), the Congress party has alleged discrepancies in the number of votes polled at various booths in the Mira Bhayandar (145) assembly constituency.

In his letter to the returning officer, Congress leader-Anil Sawant who was the election representative of MVA candidate- Muzaffar Hussain pointed out mismatch of 386 additional votes between the data in form 17-C and figures generated by the electronic voting machines (EVM), even as clarity eludes actual figures at some of the other booths.

Seeking an official explanation from the returning officer, Sawant has also alleged that the mock drill votes were also included in the polling figures. According to the figures released by the returning officer, the constituency recorded a voter turnout of 51.75 percent as 2,64,534 out of the 5,10,862 voters exercised their franchise.

However, form 17C shows a count of 51.67 percent which translates into a difference of 0.08 percent (386 votes) on the higher side. Moreover, the complainant has also raised a serious question mark on the delay in publication of the figures of the postal ballots.

While form 17A is used to record the details of every voter who comes into a polling booth and casts his/her vote, form 17C is an account of all the votes recorded. Under Rule 49S(2) of the Conduct of Elections Rules-1961, a presiding officer is mandated to furnish a copy of the entries made in form 17C to the polling agents of the candidates at the close of polling.

7C is crucial as the voter turnout data in this form can be used to legally challenge an election result. The Congress party is expected to take an aggressive stand if the anomalies are not rectified before the counting process.

Mumbai: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has moved the Bombay High Court, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or court-monitored probe into an FIR he filed in 2022 against former state minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Wankhede, an Additional Commissioner in the Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS) and a member of the Mahar Scheduled Caste, alleges that the police’s inaction in the matter has caused him and his family significant mental distress and humiliation.

On August 14, 2022, Wankhede filed an FIR with the Goregaon police station against Malik. Malik has neither been arrested in the case, nor has the chargesheet been filed in the case till date. 

Former NCB zonal officer, who shot to fame after arresting actor Shah Rukh Khan son, Aryan Khan, in the 2021 Cordelia Cruise drug bust case, had also arrested Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan. 

Wankhede has alleged that after Sameer Khan’s arrest, Malik launched a sustained campaign to defame and humiliate him and his family on social media and television, targeting their caste and questioning the authenticity of Wankhede’s caste certificate. 

The officer had earlier filed a complaint with the Scheduled Caste Commission in October 2021, seeking action against Malik. 

Despite a restraining order issued by the High Court in a separate defamation suit prohibiting Malik from making defamatory remarks, Wankhede claims Malik continued to violate the order, including questioning the validity of his caste certificate as recently as on October 27, 2024. 

A caste scrutiny committee has since upheld the authenticity of Wankhede’s certificate in a detailed 91-page report.

Malik Influenced State Police To Delay Probe: Sameer Wankhede

Wankhede alleges that Malik has influenced the state police to delay the investigation. He points out that critical provisions under the SC/ST Act have yet to be added to the FIR despite multiple reminders to the Goregaon police. “Respondent No. 2 (Malik), with his muscle power, influence and money power is controlling the state police machinery and continues to commit further offence, this can be overtly witnessed as how the Accused (Malik) is openly giving interviews to various media platforms and us wandering freely and yet no arrest is affected despite being no protective order,” the petition, filed through advocate Sana Khan,  read.

Wankhede seeks the court’s direction to transfer the investigation to an independent agency or the CBI, ensure the addition of necessary provisions under the SC/ST Act, and order the submission of a detailed report on the investigation’s progress.

Wankhede has also highlighted a similar FIR filed by his cousin, Sanjay Wankhede, which has faced the same lack of action. He contends Malik’s actions are politically motivated, aimed at influencing voters before elections.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing on November 28.