Maharashtra Elections 2024: NCP Releases 3rd List Of Candidates With 4 Names; Total Nominations Rise To 49

Mumbai: The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) released its third list of candidates on Sunday, adding four more names for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, bringing the party’s total nominations to 49. The latest list includes Vijay Singh Pandit from Gevrai, Sachin Sudhakar Patil from Phaltan, Dilip Bankar from Niphad and Kashinath Date from Parner.

State NCP President Sunil Tatkare announced the new candidates. The party had released its first list on October 23 and its second on October 25.

Zeeshan Siddique Named In Party's 2nd List

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP released its second list of candidates on Friday for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, naming seven contenders, including sitting MLA Zeeshan Siddique and two former BJP MPs. Zeeshan Siddique, whose father, NCP leader Baba Siddique, was recently killed, will run from Bandra East, a seat he previously won on a Congress ticket in 2019. Recently, Zeeshan joined the NCP after being suspended from Congress for cross-voting in the legislative council elections.

Siddique criticized the Shiv Sena (UBT), part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance with Congress, for fielding Varun Sardesai in his constituency, remarking that “staying together was never in their nature.” Baba Siddique, a longtime Congress figure, joined the NCP earlier this year as part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition.

The NCP has also nominated former BJP MP Pratap Chikhalikar from Loha, who had contested the Lok Sabha seat in Nanded but lost. Another former BJP MP, Sanjay Kaka Patil, was given an NCP ticket from Sangli, following his unsuccessful Lok Sabha bid. Patil will face NCP (SP) candidate Rohit Patil, son of the late NCP leader R.R. Patil, in Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal.

Other prominent nominations include Nishikant Patil, who will challenge NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil in Islampur, and Sana Malik, daughter of former minister Nawab Malik, who is running from Anushakti Nagar in Mumbai. Sunil Tingre has been nominated from Wadgaon Sheri in Pune, and Dnyaneshwar Katke, former Pune district chief of the Uddhav Thackeray-led NCP (SP), will contest from Shrirur.

Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar is set to contest from Baramati, setting the stage for a high-profile "Pawar vs. Pawar" contest, as Yugendra Pawar, from the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, may run against him.

The first list of candidates showed Ajit Pawar’s solid support among sitting MLAs, with 26 of them, including several ministers, standing by him since his split from his uncle, Sharad Pawar, to join the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra’s Assembly elections for its 288 seats are scheduled for November 20, with the vote count to take place on November 23. This timeline ensures the new Assembly will be in place before the current term concludes on November 26.