Third-generationpawarplay: Parthtocontest frommaval

NCP declares five more candidates, including Sameer Bhujbal and Amol Kolhe

MUMBAI: Parth Pawar, grandnephew of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, is all set to enter electoral politics after the party declared the 28-year-old as its candidate for the Lok Sabha elections for Maval constituency in Pune on Friday.

The party announced its second list of five candidates on Friday, a day after the first list of 11 candidates was announced. The NCP, which will fight the polls in alliance with the Congress and other smaller parties, is expected to field candidates in 22 of the 48 constituencies in the state.

The party has fielded popular Marathi television actor Amol Kolhe from Shirur constituency in Pune and former Member of Parliament (MP) Sameer Bhujbal as candidate for Nashik constituency. Sameer, nephew of senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, had earlier been arrested on charges of money laundering over the construction of Maharashtra Sadan, the state government guest house in New Delhi. He was selected after his uncle was unwilling to contest polls. Bhujbal was also arrested on the same charges by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The other two candidates are Bajrang Sonawane ,who will take on BJP MP Pritam Munde in Beed constituency, and Dhanraj Mahale for Dindori constituency in Nashik district.

The NCP chief was not keen on allowing Parth, elder son of senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, to contest elections but went back on his decision to contest from Madha Lok Sabha constituency, saying only two members from the family will be in the fray. The decision was taken following tremendous pressure from within the family, according to party insiders. The NCP has already declared candidature for Pawar’s daughter and sitting MP from Baramati, Supriya Sule.

Parth is a commerce graduate from Mumbai’s HR College and has completed his post-graduation from a university in London. He was seen at few party events with Pawar last year. He has been meeting people in Maval constituency for the past few months, foreshadowing his entry.

The party is making a strong bid to win the Maval constituency, which it has never won since it came into existence, following

the redrawing of constituency boundaries in 2008. Of the six segments under the constituency, four are in Pune district and two in Raigad. Parth will take on sitting Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne. Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP), which has an influence in Raigad district and has joined the Congress-ncp coalition, will be supporting Parth.

In the 2014 elections, there was

a triangular fight between Sena, NCP and PWP, with Sena benefitting from the division of votes. The PWP candidate, Laxman Jagtap, had secured 3.54 lakh votes and NCP’S Rahul Narvekar had got 1.82 lakh votes against Sena’s Shriran Barne, who won the seat by securing 5.12 lakh votes. “With both NCP and PWP coming together, we are hoping that Parth will be able to make his debut in Parliament without much difficulty,” said a senior NCP leader.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar said he had offered to field Sujay Vikhe Patil as an NCP candidate from Ahmednagar, but the latter refused it. Sujay, son of senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, recently defected to BJP. Vikhe Patil alleged that his son had to join the BJP as the NCP was not willing to concede the seat to the Congress.