India, April 7 -- The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) on Monday declared Govindrao Mokate as its candidate for the bypoll to the Rahuri assembly constituency, after its former MLA Prajakt Tanpure refused to contest the election and reportedly turned incommunicado since afternoon.

The announcement was made by the party's Maharashtra president Shashikant Shinde.

Tanpure, a former minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and son of former MLA Prasad Tanpure, decided not to enter the fray after meeting Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan and BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil at his office in Rahuri, raising questions about whether he will continue to stay with the NCP (SP).

"Tanpure didn't go to the BJP. ...