The Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar announced its first list of five candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Saturday.
Leading the roster is Supriya Sule, who will contest from the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, and Amol Kolhe from the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency, both nominated from their respective Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies. Pawar has fielded Nilesh Lanke as the Lok Sabha candidate from Ahmednagar.
Jitendra Patil, the state president of the NCP, disclosed the names of the aspiring candidates at a press conference held today.
The list of candidates and their respective constituencies are as follows:
- Baramati: Supriya Sule
- Vardha: Amar Kale
- Dindori: Bhaskarrao Bhagre
- Shirur: Dr. Amol Kolhe
- Ahmednagar: Nilesh Lanke
Pawar's surprise move
In a surprising move, Amar Kale and Nilesh Lanke, recently inducted into the NCP, have been nominated to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Nilesh Lanke will represent Ahmednagar, while Amar Kale will enter the electoral fray from the Vardha Lok Sabha constituency.
After the BJP declared Sujay Vikhe as their candidate from Ahmednagar, Pawar retaliated by nominating Lanke to counter the BJP's candidate. Lanke has resigned as a legislator to contest in the Lok Sabha elections.
For the Dindori Lok Sabha constituency, the NCP has announced Bhagre as its candidate. This move comes in response to the BJP's decision to field Bharati Pawar from the same constituency. Initially, there was a delay in announcing the candidate due to several interested contenders, but finally, Bhagre's name emerged as the chosen representative.
Jitendra Patil, the state president of the NCP, declared Supriya Sule as the candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. It is widely speculated that Sule will face Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Ajit Pawar, in what promises to be a fierce electoral contest.
Dr. Amol Kolhe has been nominated to contest from the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency, setting the stage for another showdown against Shivaji Adhalrao Patil. In the 2019 elections, Amol Kolhe faced a defeat against Shivaji Adhalrao Patil.
