Maharashtra-based Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), whose president is Ajit Pawar, has declared the first list of 38 candidates in the Maharashtra assembly election. The announcement was made by the NCP’s Maharashtra president, Sunil Tatkare, on Wednesday. Almost all the ministers are also parliamentarians, and the party president and deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, would be seen fighting from the Baramati assembly segment for the eighth time in succession.
This first list mainly comprises sitting MLAs who formed a part of the breakaway NCP in June 2023 but joined Pawar. The party has enrolled all the nine ministers who are in the Mahayuti government today, aimed at demonstrating the continuity of experienced leadership. From Maharastra, there are Chhagan Bhujbal from Yeola, Dilip Walse Patil from Ambegaon, Dhananjay Munde from Parli, Hasan Mushrif from Kagal, Dharmrao Atram from Aheri and Aditi Tatkare from Shrivardhan, Anil Patil from Amalner and Sanjay Bansode from Udgir.
Further, two of the Congress MLAs, Hiraman Khoskar from Igatpuri and Sulbha Khodke from Amravati, also got tickets after recently joining the NCP. In particular, it is necessary to focus attention on the fact that Rajkumar Badole, ex-BJP leader and former minister, plans to run for the Arjuni-Morgaon assembly constituency of Gondia district, which demonstrates the party’s diversification of candidates.
What needs attention here, though, is the fact that no candidates have emerged anywhere in Mumbai for any of the 36 assembly seats. NCP leader Nawab Malik, who has shown a desire to contest from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency, and his daughter Sana Malik are likely to be future contenders for Anushakti Nagar constituency was given a miss in this first list. The NCP, which is the third most important party in Maharashtra, will probably modify its candidate selection in the coming period, including candidates for Mumbai’s extensive electoral map in subsequent lists.
Check here for the latest updates in Hindi!