The Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) announced its first list of 38 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, on Wednesday. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will contest from the Baramati seat. The list includes 26 sitting MLAs, many of whom backed Ajit Pawar during his rebellion against uncle Sharad Pawar, when he joined the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. Ajit Pawar has been representing Baramati since 1993. The seat has long been a Pawar family stronghold.
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According to the list, Maharashtra Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal will contest from Dindori, state cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Yeola, and Dilip Walse Patil from Ambegaon. Sulbha Khodke from Amravati and Hiraman Khoskar from Igatpuri, both of whom joined the NCP after leaving Congress, have also been included.
Earlier, Eknath Shinde led Shiv Shinde also released its first list of candidates 45 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls. Eknath Shinde will contest from Kopri-Pachpakhadi Assembly constituency. Other candidates included in the list are Manisha Ravindra Waykar from Jogeshwari (East), Suhas Dwarkanath Kande from Nandgao, Pradip Shivnarayan Jaiswal from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (middle) and Balaji Devidasrao Kalyankar from Nanded North.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also exuded confidence in Mahayuti alliance winning the elections. “This is the first list (of candidates for Maharashtra Assembly election), next 2nd list will come, we will then contest the elections, then Mahayuti will win with a big majority,” Shinde said.
The third party in the MahaYuti alliance, Bharatiya Janata Party also released its first list of 99 candidates. As per the list, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will contest from Nagpur South West, while state BJP president Chandrashekhar Krishnarao Bawankule will contest from the Kamthi seat.
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As the polling date draws near, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP alongside the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress are preparing in full swing
The Maharashtra Assembly elections for 288 seats will take place on November 20, with vote counting on November 23.
(With inputs from ANI)
