Maharashtra polls: NCP (SP) announces candidates for Bhosari, Chinchwad

Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), an ally of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, on Sunday announced its candidates for the key constituencies of Bhosari and Chinchwad constituency. Ajit Gavhane has been declared the official candidate for Bhosari, while Rahul Kalate will represent the party in Chinchwad constituency.

With a large number of candidates from both constituencies, the MVA alliance tried to finalize their candidates. The picture is now clear: in Chinchwad, the fight will be between BJP’s Shankar Jagtap and NCP-SP’s Rahul Kalate. Besides Bhosari, the fight will be between BJP sitting MLA, Mahesh Landge and Ajit Gavhane.

In these parliamentary elections, Shankar Jagtap will contest the elections for the first time. The NCP-SP candidate in his opposition is former corporator Rahul Kalate, who lost the assembly elections thrice (including by-elections).

Expressing his sincere gratitude to the MVA leaders, Kalate said, “I have always worked for the development of Chinchwad constituency and am determined to address the pending issues in the area under the leadership of all MVA leaders. I am grateful to all the leaders, officials, workers and supporters of MVA in Chinchwad constituency. ”

Similarly, in the Bhosari Assembly, the contest will be between sitting MLA Mahesh Landge, who has a stronghold in the constituency, and former NCP corporator and city president Ajit Gavhane, who will contest for the first time.

Commenting on the development, Gavhane said, “We have assured our leaders that we will definitely win this election and we will all ensure that all MVA candidates win. In Bhosari constituency, like the entire Maharashtra citizens, they want change. For a decade, people have been giving opportunity to the sitting MLA who failed to realize and fulfill their expectations. This is creating anger among the public against the MLA and his party. We will definitely win this election,” he said.

In Chinchwad constituency, the Mahayuti will now face challenges within the alliance due to rebel candidates. Just a few hours after the candidature was declared, senior NCP corporators Nana Kate and Bhausaheb Bhoir announced to contest as independent candidates from the constituency. Both demanded a ticket from the Mahayuti alliance and also declared candidature from NCP (SP). They will stand as independent candidates on Monday.

Senior Congress leader Bhausaheb Bhoir, who has joined the NCP, wants to contest from Chinchwad constituency. Bhoir contested the 2009 Assembly elections and lost to the late Laxman Jagtap, an independent candidate. While the NCP leader, former corporator Nana Kate, had lost the parliamentary elections twice (including by-elections) and bagged a ticket from the NCP (SP) party. Both had opposed the candidature of Shankar Jagtap of Chinchwad Assembly.