Mumbai: The BJP has replaced four sitting MPs in Maharashtra in its third list of six candidates from the state, and has fielded a woman candidate from Baramati, the bastion of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, against sitting MP Supriya Sule. The latest list includes 36 candidates from various states. The saffron party is contesting 25 out of total 48 seats in alliance with the Shiv Sena, which will fight on rest of the seats. Prominent among those who are denied re-nomination is Dindori MP Harishchandra Chavan, who has been representing the tribal-dominated seat since 2009.
This time, the party has reposed faith in NCP turncoat Bharti Pawar, who had lost to Chavan in 2014 polls by a huge margin.
The BJP has given ticket to Kanchan Kul, wife of Daund legislator Rahul Kul, from Baramati seat in Pune district against Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar. Rahul Kul is the MLA of Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, an alliance partner of the BJP in Maharashtra. Another significant replacement is in Pune constituency, where cabinet minister Girish Bapat has been picked in place of sitting MP Anil Shirole.
In Solapur, the BJP has given ticket to Jaisiddeshwar Swami in place of sitting MP Sharad Bansode. Swami will be pitted against Congress veteran from Solapur Sushilkumar Shinde, a former Union home minister. In 2014 elections, Bansode had emerged as a giant killer by defeating Shinde on his home turf. Another MP who was denied re-nomination is AT Nana Patil from Jalgaon in north Maharashtra. The party has given ticket to Smita Uday Wagh. In the earlier list of 16 candidates, the BJP renominated 14 MPs including Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur) and Dr Subhash Bhamre (Dhule).
