The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday released list of its candidates for Beed and Bhiwandi seats in Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
According to the list released by the NCP (SP), Bajrang Sonwane will contest on the NCP (SP) ticket from Beed while Suresh Mhatre will contest from Bhiwandi.
Earlier, the NCP (SP) had declared its first list five candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Maharashtra. The party has retained MP Supriya Sule from Baramati.
The NCP (SP) has fielded Nilesh Lanke from Ahmednagar constituency. Nilesh Lanke had switched sides from the Ajit Pawar camp and joined the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP.
Nilesh Lanke is the sitting MLA from Parner and he will face off against BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil from the Ahmednagar constituency.
“Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe have been retained from Baramati and Shirur constituencies, respectively,” the state unit NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil while declaring the list had earlier said.
The NCP (SP) has nominated Bhaskar Bhagre from Dindori seat in Nashik district of Maharashtra and former Congress MLA Amar Kale from Wardha.
Bhaskar Bhagre will square off against Union minister and sitting BJP MP Bharati Pawar in Dindori (ST) seat.
NCP (SP) is the part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) that comprises of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress. It will contest 10 seats in Maharashtra.
Check below the complete list of seven candidates of Sharad Pawar-led NCP
| Name of Candidate | Constituency |
| Amar Kale | Wardha |
| Bhaskar Bhagre | Dindori (ST) |
| Supriya Sule | Baramati |
| Amol Kolhe | Shirur |
| Nilesh Lanke | Ahmednagar |
| Bajrang Sonwane | Beed |
| Suresh Mhatre | Bhiwandi |
Beed will vote in the fourth phase on May 13, while Bhiwandi in adjoining Thane district of Maharashtra will have polls in the fifth phase on May 20.
With the release of second list, the NCP (SP), a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), has named a total number of as many as seven candidates so far.
The NCP (SP) had named five candidates in the first list released last week.
Besides the NCP (SP) and the Congress, the MVA also consists of the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80), will vote in five phases starting from April 19 and counting will take place on June 4.
