Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has asked his party workers to start preparing for the campaign of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls saying that they are likely to be announced anytime.
“The announcement of Lok Sabha election dates is likely on March 7 or 8 and voting is likely to be held in the third or fourth week of April in Maharashtra. We should start preparing for the election campaign to ensure victory of party candidates,” he said, while addressing the party rally in Nashik.
Criticising the Modi government, he said, “This government is a national disaster. All parties should come together to fight against it.”
Meanwhile, the NCP is considering Smita Patil, daughter of late deputy chief minister R.R. Patil, to contest from the Maval constituency.
According to party sources, the NCP feels it can win the Maval constituency if a strong candidate is fielded. Hence, the name of Parth Pawar was initially doing the rounds. However, party chief Sha-rad Pawar ruled out that possibility saying that th-ree candidates from one family should not contest the polls.
NCP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad city chief Sanjog Waghere Patil and Bhausaheb Bhoir are also interested in contesting from the Maval constituency. However, to defeat the current Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne, the party needs a strong candidate since the BJP and Sena have decided to contest the polls as an alliance, said a party insider.
Smita Patil, after marriage last year, has settled in Pimpri-Chinchwad, which falls in the Maval constituency. This will make her a local candidate to contest the seat.
When asked, Smita said, “I have never thought of contesting the elections. But if the party asks me to contest, I will definitely follow it. Whatever decision party chief Sharad Pawar makes, I will abide by it.”
The Maval constituency consists of urban, rural and adivasi areas. While areas like Pimpri, Chin-chwad, Panvel are urban; Maval, Uran and Karjat have a rural as well as adivasi population.
