Maharashtra Elections 2024: Ajit Pawar nominates most MLAs, keeps some waiting

NCP National President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during a press conference in Mumbai in August. File pic/Atul Kamble

Nationalists Congress Party's Ajit Pawar faction has kept some of its sitting MLAs, including the city legislator Nawab Malik, waiting while announcing a list of 38 candidates for the Assembly elections on Wednesday. It gave poll tickets to imports from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress and also fielded some new faces.

The party is expecting 55-60 seats in sharing with the BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) who have also released their first list. BJP's 99 came on Sunday night and Sena's on Tuesday night. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has also declared 45 nominees, including the party president's son Amit from Mahim.

Ajit from Baramati

Putting speculations to end that he would change his constituency, Ajit Pawar chose a battle in Baramati, his forte, where he is expected to be opposed by his nephew Yugendra Pawar.

Ajit's all cabinet colleagues - Chhagan Bhujbal (Yeola), Dilip Walse-Patil (Ambegaon), Hasan Mushrif (Kagal), Dhananjay Munde (Parali), Dharmarao Baba Atram (Aheri), Aditi Tatkare (Shrivardhan), Anil Bhaidas Patil (Amalner) and Sanjay Bansode (Udgir), along with deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal (Dindori) were nominated.

Former BJP minister, Rajkumar Badole, who joined the NCP on Tuesday in a special arrangement with his original party, will contest from Arjuni Morgaon. The NCP denied its sitting MLA, Manohar Chandrikapure, re-nomination. Imports from Congress, Hiraman Khoskar (Igatpuri) and Sulbha Khodke (Amravati) will be fighting on NCP's ticket to retain their respective seats. Khodke, originally an NCP leader, had fought as a Congress nominee because of the 2019 seat-sharing formula that gave her constituency to the ally. Bharat Gavit (Navapur) and Nirmala Vitekar (Pathri) will be the new faces.

Awhad vs ex-mentee

In Thane's Kalwa-Mumbra, the Sharad Pawar faction's senior MLA and former minister, Jitendra Awhad, has been challenged by his estranged mentee Najeeb Mulla. Awhad once mentored the former Thane corporator. After the party's split, Mulla stayed with Ajit Pawar. In the past 15 years, Awhad has enjoyed majority support from the Muslim-dominated Mumbra.

In waiting

Mumbai's Anushakti Nagar MLA Nawab Malik is among the legislators sitting and waiting for the party to nod. Malik's candidature has been opposed by the BJP. Malik's daughter Sana is expected to get nominated in the father's seat. It is also said that Malik will shift to Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency where Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi has reigned supreme since 2009.

Other MLAs, whose decision is pending are - a six-term MLA from Madha, Baban Shinde, his brother Sanjaymama Shinde (independent from Karmala), Balasaheb Ajabe (Ashti), Devendra Bhuyar (Morshi), and Sunil Tingre (Vadgaon Sheri).

MLAs Dipak Chavan (Phaltan) and Rajendra Shingne (Sindkhed Raja) have defected to the Sharad Pawar faction. Their replacements have not been announced.

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