Pune: Get set for another round of NCP vs NCP battle in at least 13 assembly constituencies and a replay of Pawar clan contest in Baramati . NCP (SCP) on Thursday announced its first list of candidates for 45 seats, including Baramati. The party fielded Yugendra Pawar, the nephew of Ajit Pawar , against the latter.
Jayant Patil , the state president of NCP (SCP), said Yugendra Pawar was fielded in Baramati against deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar following the demand of local party workers. "The way people are supporting him, we may see a different result than what many are expecting there," he said. An identical family contest is expected in the Aheri constituency.
Sitting NCP MLA Dharmaraobaba Atram will contest against his daughter Bhagyashree, the NCP (SCP) candidate. In the Lok Sabha polls, the two factions of NCP contested against each other in just two seats — Baramati and Shirur. NCP (SCP) won both.
This time, mouthwatering contests are on the cards in multiple seats. NCP (SCP)'s Samrjeet Ghatge will take on state minister Hasan Mushrif in Kagal, Devdatta Nikam will contest against minister Dilip Walse Patil in Ambegaon. In Indapur, Harshvardhan Patil will contest against NCP's sitting MLA Dattatray Bharne.
NCP (SCP) nominated Pune city president Prashant Jagtap in the Hadapsar seat against the sitting MLA, Chetan Tupe. The outcome of the showdown between NCP and NCP (SCP) will decide which faction will reign supreme in western Maharashtra — considered a stronghol.