Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress loses Bhiwandi

Even as the Congress's aspiring contestants in Mumbai have been left high and dry, it's time for their Bhiwandi counterparts to cry foul as the NCP (Sharad Pawar) took the Lok Sabha seat - named after the workaholic textile town - from Congress.

NCP-SP's declaration on Thursday had two seats, Bhiwandi and Wardha that were contested and won by the Congress in the past. It fielded Suresh alias Balya Mama Mhatre from Bhiwandi. For Wardha, it inducted former Congress MLA Amar Kale. Both candidates will fight the BJP's sitting MPs.

Sources said a meeting regarding contentious constituencies was held on Wednesday night between MVA leaders at Sharad Pawar's residence. The issue over Bhiwandi, Sangli and Mumbai wasn't sorted despite deliberations. Congress representatives were reported to have left the meeting early.

MVA leaders at a press conference. File pic

Among the seven seats the NCP-SP announced on Thursday, the five Wardha, Dindori, Baramati, Shirur and Ahmednagar were already known but not announced formally. Bhiwandi and Beed were the new ones. In Beed, Ajit Pawar's former associate, Bajrang Sonawane, will take on BJP's Pankaja Munde. The Sharad Pawar faction has not declared a few more seats including Satara and Madha. In Satara, BJP's Maratha royal Udayanraje Bhosale is keen to contest but has not been endorsed by his party yet.

Pawar has been exploring strong candidates that can take on Bhosale. Former CM Prithviraj Chavan has been tipped as the chosen one, but he would contest as a Congress candidate, not from the Sharad Pawar's party. For Madha, Dhairyashil Mohite Patil is being considered against incumbent MP Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar (BJP). Sambhaji Brigade chief Pravin Gaikwad and MVA partner PWP's Dr Aniket Deshmukh are also interested in Madha.

In-laws fight in Dharashiv

In Dharashiv (formerly Osmanabad), estranged relatives will be seen in action. On Thursday, NCP Ajit Pawar inducted Archana Patil, the wife of BJP legislator Ranajagjitsinh Patil. Archana will attempt to tame the Sena-UBT's sitting MP Omprakash Nimbalkar, who is Rana's cousin. The two families have been estranged for decades. Archana's husband Rana is the son of Ajit Pawar's brother-in-law Dr Padamsinh Patil, who is a former minister and ex-MP from Dharashiv. Padamsinh's sister Sunetra is married to Ajit Pawar.

7
No of seats announced by NCP on Thursday

02
No of seats announced by NCP were held by Cong previously