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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, AUG 9: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today declared its first list of candidates for the forthcoming general and State Assembly election with hardly any surprises and without waiting for the conclusion of alliance talks with ``friendly parties''.
The list -- for 24 of 48 Lok Sabha seats and 122 of the 288 assembly seats -- has very few women candidates but a fair representation of castes across regions. The second and final list will be declared shortly after alliance and seat-sharing discussions with the Republican Party of India, Peasants & Workers Party, Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and others conclude, said state chief Chhagan Bhujbal.
Reports indicate that the party will allow these friendly parties about 80-88 assembly seats. Expectedly, the only candidate declared so far is Ramesh Dube for Mumbai northwest. The NCP has desisted from announcing candidates for the other five constituencies including the most prestigious Mumbai south from where it is certain that Murli Deora will seekre-election on the Congress ticket. There is some talk of fielding Pawar confidant from Vidarbha, Praful Patel, against Deora but Patel seems more inclined to battle on his home-turf, Bhandara.
Most MPs and MLAs who walked over from the Congress to the NCP two months ago have found a place in the list. The candidates for western Maharashtra constituencies did not really spring a surprise: Sharad Pawar from Baramati, Vithal Tupe from Pune, Ashok Mohol from Khed, Madanrao Patil from Sangli, Nivedita Mane from Ichalkaranji and Sadashivrao Mandlik from Kolhapur. The only exception is Shriniwas Patil who has been nominated to take on the Congress in Karad.
In the Assembly election list, Sachin Ahir and Vijay Kamble, both Pawar aides from the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) have found place in Mumbai. Ahir will fight the Sewri seats while Kamble will fight for the Kherwadi seat. Bhujbal's constituency Mazgaon will see a woman Sunita Shinde take on the Congress and probably Shiv Sena's BalaNandgaonkar who defeated @letter head:
Bhujbal also unveiled the party symbol -- table-clock at the party's headquarters today.
Congress takes offence at Munde remark
The Congress has taken grave objection to Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde's remark of the Election Commission/ Commissioner being ``childish''. It's clearly contempt of the EC and the EC should take note of it, said spokesperson B A Desai. He however refrained from commenting if it was proper for the EC to object to saffron flags atop temples and at Ganesh mandals.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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