Pune: The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) party has announced its first list of 45 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The list was unveiled by Jayant Patil in Pune, with notable names from key constituencies across the state.

In a significant move, Sharad Pawar has fielded Yugendra Pawar in Baramati to contest against Ajit Pawar, creating a major talking point in this election cycle.

The list includes several prominent political figures, such as Jayant Patil from Islampur, Anil Deshmukh from Katol, and Jitendra Awhad from Mumbra-Kalwa.

The list also features several first-time candidates, including Prashant Jagtap from Hadapsar, Mehbub Sheikh from Ashti, Yugendra Pawar from Baramati, Rohit Patil from Tasgaon Kavathe Mahankal, and Rani Lanke from Parner, signaling a strategic introduction of new faces in these constituencies.

In Pune, Bapusaheb Pathare will contest from Wadgaon Sheri, a seat that has been closely watched.

This announcement has set the stage for fierce electoral battles, with major constituencies such as Baramati, Wadgaon Sheri, and Hadapsar in the spotlight.

With the first list out, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) aims to maintain a strong foothold in its key constituencies, while introducing fresh candidates to the electoral arena.

Sushma Andhare, a leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party, an alliance partner of the NCP (SP) had prematurely declared that the Hadapsar Assembly constituency has been allotted to Shiv Sena (UBT).

Former MLA Mahadev Babar has been officially named as the candidate for the upcoming assembly elections from this seat, claimed Andhare.