Swara Bhasker’s husband to contest from Anushakti Nagar

NCP (SP) fields nine candidates, including Maratha Rajesaheb Deshmukh against Dhananjay Munde, aiming to challenge former allies in key constituencies.

MUMBAI: In the NCP (SP)’s third list of nine candidates, party chief Sharad Pawar has tried to ensure that the going will not be easy for his former colleagues who jumped ship during the party split last year. The party has fielded Rajesaheb Deshmukh, a Maratha candidate, against state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in Parli, a constituency dominated by Munde’s Wanjari community. Similarly, it has tried to corner Nawab Malik’s daughter Sana Malik in Anushakti Nagar by fielding Fahad Ahmed, husband of Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar.

Swara Bhasker’s husband to contest from Anushakti Nagar

The list of candidates announced on Sunday also features Siddhi Ramesh Kadam, daughter of former NCP MLA Ramesh Kadam who was jailed in a multi-crore scam years ago. Siddhi will contest from Mohol in Solapur and face the Ajit Pawar NCP’s MLA Yashwant Mane. In Karanja in Washim district, the party has fielded Dnyayak Patni, son of Rajendra Patni, sitting BJP MLA who passed away early this year. In Majalgaon in Beed, the party has put up Mohan Jagtap, a Maratha candidate against Ajit Pawar’s sitting MLA Prakash Solanke.

By fielding a Maratha candidate in Parli, and Fahad Ahmed, former Samajwadi Party leader, in Anushakti Nagar, the NCP (SP) has posed a serious challenge to the opposing contestants. “Vanjari (OBC) votes in Parli stand by Munde, and the constituency has been witnessing a fight between OBC leaders all these years,” said an NCP (SP) leader. “Given the tussle between Marathas and OBCs in Marathwada over the reservation issue, Pawar has fielded a Maratha candidate.”

The leader explained that during the Lok Sabha election, when the BJP’s Pankaja Munde was a candidate from Beed, the area had witnessed violence amid the tussle. “Marathas are upset about the OBC dominance in Parli,” he said. “Although Vanjaris outnumber Marathas in Parli, by fielding a Maratha candidate, Pawar has aimed to consolidate Maratha votes, which could pose a serious challenge to Munde. Pawar was upset with Munde after he sided with Ajit Pawar, and aims to defeat him.” The leader added that Fahad, a Muslim leader, clubbed with the glamour quotient of Swara Bhaskar, could pose a serious challenge to Sana Malik.

In Chinchwad and Bhosari in Pune district, Rahul Kalate and Ajit Gavhane, who recently joined the Sharad Pawar-led NCP by defecting from the Ajit Pawar faction, have been announced as candidates.