NCP releases first candidate list for Lok Sabha polls
Party announces candidates for 18 of 22 seats it contests in Maharashtra; Sharad Pawar not in fray
Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday released its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. With party chief Sharad Pawar not in fray, the NCP has nominated candidates for 18 of 22 seats it contests in Maharashtra.
Among these are Union heavy industries minister Praful Patel, former Maharashtra deputy chief minister and state public works minister Chhagan Bhujbal, and party president Sharad Pawar’s daughter and member of Parliament (MP) Supriya Sule.
Patel and Sule will contest from Gondia and Baramati constituencies, which they currently represent. Bhujbal will replace his nephew Sameer Bhujbal as the party’s candidate from Nashik.
Pawar opted to not contest in the coming Lok Sabha election and was elected to the Rajya Sabha earlier this month. He has been replaced by another former deputy chief minister, Vijay Singh Mohite-Patil, as the party’s candidate from Madha.
The NCP, which contests in 22 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra under its seat-sharing arrangement with its alliance partner the Congress party, is yet to announce candidates for the Hatkangale, Hingoli, Maval and Beed constituencies.
The party is in talks with the Congress to swap the Hatkangale and Hingoli seats.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!