Maharashtra: 23 MLAs, 10 ex-ministers in Congress’ first list

While 23 of its sitting MLAs have been renominated, a surprise inclusion is of Pratibha Dhanorkar — the wife of party’s sole MP from the state, Suresh Dhanorkar.

Facing its toughest election battle in Maharashtra yet, the Congress, which is expected to contest 125 of the state’s 288 seats, announced 51 of its candidates on Sunday.

While 23 of its sitting MLAs have been renominated, a surprise inclusion is of Pratibha Dhanorkar — the wife of party’s sole MP from the state, Suresh Dhanorkar. She will be the candidate from Chandrapur’s Warora seat, which her husband had won as the Shiv Sena candidate in the 2014 state polls. He had joined the Congress just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, and stunned former Union minister Hansraj Ahir to win the Chandrapur seat for the party.

While six of its sitting MLAs have quit to join the ruling side, the Congress, for now, has held back renominations of eight others — D S Ahire (Sakri), Kanshiram Pawara (Shirpur), Rahul Bondre (Chikhli), Kunal Patil (Dhule Rural), Gopaldas Agarwal (Gondia), Aslam Shaikh (Malad), Bharat Bhalke (Pandharpur) and Nitesh Rane (Kankavli). Most of them are believed to be in touch with the BJP for a possible switch over.

The Congress top brass in the state, including party president Vijay (Balasaheb) Thorat and its five working presidents, will be in the electoral fray, while legislative party leader K C Padavi, who had lost in the Nandurbar Lok Sabha election, will attempt to seek re-election from Akkalkuwa seat in the region.

The first list featured 10 former ministers. It also included nominations for nine out of the 36 seats in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Thorat on Sunday said that seat-sharing arrangement with the NCP, including swapping of seats, has been finalised, and that the alliance will be formalised soon.

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