Pune: In preparation for the upcoming state assembly elections, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) led by Sharad Pawar conducted interviews of aspiring candidates from five districts in North Maharashtra on Monday (October 7).

Over 300 candidates from Ahmednagar, Nandurbar, Dhule, Jalgaon, and Nashik participated in these interviews, aiming to secure nominations for various constituencies.

The interviews were held at Nisarga Karyalaya following a rally in Indapur that marked the entry of Harshvardhan Patil into the party. Sharad Pawar, after concluding the event in Indapur, reached Pune around 3:30 PM and initiated the interviews in the presence of senior party leaders from the parliamentary board.

Pawar personally interacted with the candidates to gauge their perspectives and preparedness for the upcoming elections. Among the participants were several notable figures, including Karjat-Jamkhed MLA Rohit Pawar, along with new and familiar faces.

District presidents and election committee members from the five districts were also in attendance to oversee the process. A substantial turnout of 150 candidates from Nashik’s 15 constituencies highlighted the interviews, followed by significant participation from Nandurbar and Jalgaon.

The selection process was not limited to interviews alone. It was also a show of strength, as party workers and officials gathered in large numbers outside the interview venue, demonstrating their support for the candidates.

The atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm as hopefuls from Ahmednagar’s eight constituencies, including Akola, Kopargaon, Rahuri, Pathardi-Shevgaon, Karjat-Jamkhed, Shrigonda, and Parner, presented their cases for candidacy.

Rohit Pawar from Karjat-Jamkhed, Rahul Jagtap, Annasaheb Shelar, were among those interviewed from various constituencies. The candidates emphasized their work in their respective constituencies, detailing the political dynamics and caste equations while making their case for nomination. The parliamentary board, led by Pawar, posed various questions, and the candidates provided comprehensive responses.

Rajendra Phalke, district president of NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) in Ahmednagar, emphasized that the party had contested in eight constituencies in the 2019 elections and has requested the same number of candidacies in the upcoming polls.

"We have our rightful constituencies, and 21-22 candidates have been interviewed today," he said.