Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: NCP Sharad Pawar announces first list; check full list here

On Thursday, October 24, 2024, the Sharad Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) unveiled its first list of 45 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Among the most notable announcements was the candidacy of Yugendra Pawar, who will challenge his uncle, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in the Baramati constituency.

Yugendra Pawar is the son of Shrinivas Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s younger brother, adding a personal twist to what promises to be a high-stakes electoral battle within the Pawar family. This candidacy sets the stage for an intense showdown in Baramati, a constituency that has long been a stronghold for the Pawar family.

The NCP (Sharad Pawar) list also includes other heavyweights such as state president Jayant Patil (Islampur), Jitendra Awhad (Mumbra-Kalwa), Anil Deshmukh (Katol), Harshvardhan Patil (Indapur), and Rohit Patil, son of the late R.R. Patil, who is set to make his electoral debut in Tasgaon-Kavthemahankal.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the opposition alliance consisting of the NCP (Sharad Pawar), Congress, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), recently finalized a seat-sharing agreement, allocating 255 out of the 288 constituencies among its partners. Each party will contest 85 seats. This agreement has positioned the Sharad Pawar faction as a serious contender for the Chief Minister's post, should the alliance win the elections. Initially aiming for 75-80 seats, the NCP (Sharad Pawar) managed to secure a larger share after negotiations.

The face-off in Baramati is especially significant given recent electoral results. In the last Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, received 573,979 votes but lost to her sister-in-law, Supriya Sule of the Sharad Pawar faction, who secured 732,312 votes, underscoring the deepening family and political rivalry.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections, encompassing all 288 constituencies, are scheduled for November 20, with results expected on November 23.

Here's full list