The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on Monday announced its latest list of seven candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, prominently featuring Salil Deshmukh, the son of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who will contest from the Katol constituency. 

The full list of candidates includes:

1. Prabhakar Gharge from Man (Constituency No. 258)
2. Salil Anil Deshmukh from Katol (Constituency No. 48)
3. Vaibhav Sadashiv Patil from Khanapur (Constituency No. 286)
4. Arunadevi Pisal from Wai (Constituency No. 256)
5. Ramesh Thorat from Dand (Constituency No. 199)
6. Sharad Med from Pusad (Constituency No. 81)
7. Sandeep Bedse from Sindkheda (Constituency No. 8)

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This announcement follows the party’s previous release on Sunday, where the NCP (SP) revealed its third list of candidates for nine seats, which included actor Swara Bhaskar’s husband, Fahad Ahmad. Ahmad, previously the state president of the Samajwadi Party youth wing, has joined the NCP (SP) and will contest from the Anushakti Nagar seat. He will face off against Sana Malik, the daughter of former minister Nawab Malik, who was arrested in February 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate for allegedly usurping a property in Kurla with the aid of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s sister. 

Nawab Malik, who served as the sitting MLA from Anushakti Nagar, was released on bail last year and subsequently allied with the Ajit Pawar faction, although he was not renominated, likely due to objections from the BJP, which is his party’s ally.

Among the notable names, Dnyayak Patni, the son of the late BJP MLA Rajendra Patni, will contest from the Karanja seat in Washim district. Rajendra Patni had won the assembly elections in 2014 and 2019 on a BJP ticket but passed away in February this year. His son opted to join the NCP (SP) instead of continuing with the BJP.

Other candidates announced include Atul Wandile from Hinganghat in Wardha, Ramesh Bang from Hingna in Nagpur, Rahul Kalate from Chinchwad, Ajit Gavhane from Bhosari in Pune, Mohan Jagtap from Majalgaon, Rajesaheb Deshmukh from Parli in Beed, and Siddhi Ramesh Kadam from the Mohol seat in Solapur.

The polls for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are set for November 20, with results expected to be declared on November 23.