Lok Sabha election: Four fresh faces in Congress’s second list for Maharashtra

Congress announces 4 new candidates for Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, including Vikas Thakre vs Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur. Nana Patole declines to contest.

Four new faces featured in Congress’s second list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. As per the list released on Saturday night, Vikas Thakre, MLA from Nagpur West, will take on BJP heavyweight and union minister Nitin Gadkari for Nagpur Lok Sabha seat.

Lok Sabha election: Congress has promised to give poor women ₹1 lakh per year. (File photo)

Dr Prashant Padole has been nominated for Bhandara-Gondia constituency instead of state Congress president Nana Patole. Patole was not keen to contest the polls and had conveyed this to the party leadership, sources said.

For Ramtek constituency, the party has fielded Rashmi Barve as its candidate. Barve, a loyalist of Congress MLA Sunil Kedar, was recently issued a notice by the social justice department for allegedly “using forged documents” to get a caste certificate. The grand old party has declared candidature of Dr Namdeo Kirsan for Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha seat.

Previously, Congress had announced seven candidates in the first list.