India, April 5 -- NCP chief and deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday rang up Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and sought his support for her candidature in the Baramati by-poll scheduled for April 23. The NCP has been looking to ensure an unopposed victory for her, and to this end has been approaching parties to not field a candidate. However, while others were favourably inclined, the Congress was not.

According to NCP insiders, Sunetra dialled Thackeray soon after the Congress on Friday declared its intention to contest the assembly seat which fell vacant after the death of Sunetra's husband, former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash. Thackeray's response to the request was that he would discuss the...