From Baramati to sugar belt: It’s NCP vs NCP in 38 seats

One of the astir important battles volition beryllium successful the Pawar family’s accepted stronghold of Baramati, wherever Ajit’s challenger volition beryllium his nephew Yugendra Pawar, contesting connected an NCP (SP) ticket. Yugendra, lad of Ajit’s member Shrinivas, is the Pawar family’s 3rd procreation to participate authorities and was progressive successful his father’s concern earlier the NCP (SP) handed him his canvass debut. Ajit has won Baramati consecutively since 1991.

Another important conflict volition beryllium successful the neighbouring Indapur constituency, wherever Ajit’s trusted adjutant Dattatray Bharne volition instrumentality connected seasoned person and erstwhile curate Harshvardhan Patil from the Sharad faction. Patil, a four-time Indapur MLA, had joined the enactment up of these elections aft helium was denied a summons by the BJP. After defeating Patil successful 2014, Bharne became a two-time Indapur MLA successful 2019.

In Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal, erstwhile authorities Cabinet curate R R Patil’s lad Rohit volition beryllium making his electoral debut arsenic the NCP (SP) campaigner against erstwhile MP Sanjaykaka Patil, who moved from the BJP to state Ajit’s NCP to get a summons for these polls. Ajit’s aged rivalry with the precocious R R Patil, who helium accuses of “backstabbing” him by ordering an Anti-Corruption Bureau probe implicit an alleged Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam during Patil’s tenure arsenic the authorities Home minister, adds different magnitude to this contest.

Three of the NCP-versus-NCP fights are located successful the Nashik district. The contention betwixt OBC person and authorities Cabinet curate Chhagan Bhujbal and the NCP (SP)’s Maratha person Manikrao Shinde successful the Yeola constituency volition beryllium keenly watched, peculiarly fixed the Maratha-OBC polarisation successful the authorities stemming from the ongoing preservation agitation.

In the state’s remaining regions, from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the Konkan loop successful the westbound to the cardinal Marathwada to the eastbound Vidarbha, determination are conscionable 5 seats wherever the 2 NCP factions volition face-off. While the NCP’s Agriculture curate Dhananjay Munde volition instrumentality connected NCP (SP) newcomer Rajesaheb Deshmukh successful Marathwada’s Parli seat, Vidarbha’s Morshi spot volition spot Independent MLA-turned-NCP campaigner Devendra Bhuyar contention against the NCP (SP)’s Girish Rangrao Karale.

In Mumbai, 2 debutants are successful the fray from Anushakti Nagar. While Ajit’s NCP has fielded Sana Malik, girl of arguable sitting two-time MLA Nawab Malik who has often been targeted by the BJP for his alleged ties to Dawood Ibrahim, Sharad Pawar has fielded the Samajwadi Party’s Fahad Ahmad, a erstwhile younker person and hubby of histrion Swara Bhasker, connected an NCP (SP) ticket. The contention present is somewhat a proxy conflict betwixt associates-turned-rivals and 2 heavyweights of the Maharashtra Muslim community: SP Maharashtra main Abu Asim Azmi and erstwhile Cabinet curate Nawab Malik.