Maha poll: NCP releases 1st list; Ajit Pawar to contest from Baramati

The Nationalist Congress Party on Wednesday released its first list of 38 candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls with Deputy Chief Minister and party head Ajit Pawar being nominated from Baramati seat in Pune district.

Apart from renominating 26 sitting MLAs, including ministers who sided with Ajit Pawar when he joined the ruling camp, the NCP has also fielded sitting legislators Sulbha Khodke (Amravati) and Hiraman Khoskar (Igatpuri) who switched over from the Congress recently.

Bharat Gavit, son of Congress veteran late Manikrao Gavit, has been fielded from Navapur.

Deputy Speaker of state assembly Narhari Zirwal has been fielded from Dindori and state cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Yeola.

Former minister Rajkumar Badole, who was earlier with the BJP, has been given the ticket from Arjuni-Morgaon.