NCP shortlists candidates for Lok Sabha polls

NCP at its two day meeting concluded today short listed nominees for 22 seats in Maharashtra

 Maharashtra's public works minister Chhagan Bhujbal will be the Nationalist Congress Party's nominee from Nashik constituency while water resources minister Sunil Tatkare from Raigad, former deputy chief minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil from Madha (currently represented by Sharad Pawar) and party chief and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule from Baramati seat.

Besides, union minister for heavy industries Praful Patel will be renominated from the Bhandara-Gondiya constituency while state food and drugs administration minister Manohar Naik, who hails from, the politically crucial Banjara community, will be given candidature from Washim constituency in the Vidarbha region.
 
NCP at its two day meeting concluded today short listed nominees for 22 seats it desires to contest in an alliance with the co-partner Congress party in Maharashtra in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. NCP has yet to formally arrive at 22:26 seat sharing formula where in it will contest 22 leaving the balance to its co-partner Congress party.
 
Patel reiterated that NCP will contest 22 seats on the lines of 2009 seat sharing formula entered into with the Congress party. He also said that NCP will announce party's candidates for 22 seats soon so that they will be able to approach maximum number of voters and cover their respective constituencies before the polling.
 
This apart, the list of other nominees include former union minister of state for rural development Suryakanata Patil (Hingoli), former minister and the current MP Padmasinh Patil (Osmanabad), former minister Rajendra Shingane and former legislatore Rekha Khedekar (Buldhana), Laxman Jagtap, an independent supporting the NCP in the state assembly (Maval), party legislator Vallabh Benke (Shirur).
 
Further, the party MP Sanjeev Naik will be renominated from Thane while Anand Paranjape, who had recently deserted Shiv Sena, to associate himself with NCP will be given candidature from the adjoining Kalyan seat in Thane district.
 
NCP's Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Patil, who defeated BJP's nominee Kirit Somaiya with a thin margin in the 2009 polls, will be renominated from the North East Mumbai.
 
Moreover, the party has shortlisted sugar baron Dhananjay Mahadik from Kolhapur seat while former minister of state for tribal development AT Pawar from Dindori seat which is reserved for the scheduled tribes. In Beed constituency, which is currently represented by BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde, the party has shortlisted the minister for public works Jaidutt Kshirsagar and minister of state for revenue Suresh Dhas. The party has stepped up its efforts to consolidate its position in Beed which is Munde's bastion.
 
As reported earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has already declared not to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha polls but enter into the upper house (Rajya Sabha) in March-April when the election is due.