Pune: The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), under the leadership of Prakash Ambedkar, has announced its fifth list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.
The list includes candidates for 16 seats, with the high-stakes Baramati constituency among them. The VBA has decided to field Mangaldas Nikalje from Baramati.
The Baramati constituency is expected to witness a triangular contest. On one side, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is gearing up with campaign vehicles already mobilized throughout the constituency.
Meanwhile, Yugendra Pawar, representing the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, is focusing on door-to-door interactions and direct public contact. With Prakash Ambedkar's VBA nominating a candidate for Baramati, the competition could be intense.
In the fifth list, VBA announced candidates for the following constituencies:
Bhusawal: Jagan Devram Sonawane
Mehkar: Dr. Rutuja Chavan
Murtizapur: Sugat Waghmare
Risod: Prashant Sudhir Gole
Owale Majiwada: Lobharsingh Ganpatrao Rathod
Airoli: Vikrant Dayanand Chikane
Jogeshwari East: Parameshwar Ranshur
Dindoshi: Rajendra Tanaji Sasane
Malad: Ajay Atmaram Rokade
Andheri East: Adv. Sanjeevkumar Kalkori
Ghatkopar West: Sagar Ramesh Gavai
Ghatkopar East: Sunita Maikvad
Chembur: Anand Bhimrao Jadhav
Baramati: Mangaldas Tukaram Nikalje
Shrigonda: Annasaheb Shelar
Udgir: Prof. Dr. Shivajirao Mareppa Devanale
With the announcement of this list, VBA is clearly strategizing for key constituencies, aiming to create a significant impact in the upcoming elections.
In recent months, following the Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Pawar had hinted multiple times that he might not run for the assembly seat from Baramati, causing considerable anxiety among NCP supporters in the region.
At one point, party workers intercepted his convoy in Baramati, insisting that he be their candidate. In response, Pawar assured them that their desire would be fulfilled, aligning with their expectations.