The rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Maharashtra's opposition alliance, has surfaced again as the Congress party announced its intention to contest the Baramati Assembly bypoll, following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash. His widow, Sunetra Pawar, is the candidate for the ruling alliance, and Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), is likely to support her candidacy. Thackeray received a call from Ms. Pawar seeking support, indicating a leaning towards upholding Maharashtra's political tradition of unopposed elections following a family death. However, the Congress, led by Harshwardhan Sapkal, expressed dissatisfaction over being excluded from discussions regarding the bypoll, emphasizing that their stance against unopposed elections remains unchanged. This internal conflict within the Congress reflects a broader disagreement on the issue, with some members advocating for supporting Ms. Pawar's unopposed election. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called for all parties to support a peaceful election process.