Sharad Pawar holds NCP meetings to prepare for Maharashtra Assembly polls

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders are holding meetings to identify candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly polls slated for later this year, a party functionary said June 21.

The meetings, which began on June 13, are expected to go on till June 23, he said.

Among those attending are state NCP president Jayant Patil, former Union minister Praful Patel, former deputy CM's Chhagan Bhujbal and Ajit Pawar, the NCP leader said.

"The NCP president on Friday held discussions with partymen from Vidarbha region, covering Akola, Buldhana, Washim, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur and Bhandara-Gondia," he said.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "Sharad Pawar ji is holding district-wise meeting with local NCP leaders and reviewing poll positions. All concerned party leaders and workers have been asked to attend the meeting."

Pawar has already met party representatives from Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai, Mira- Bhayander, Bhiwandi, Palghar, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Raigad, Sindhudurg, Ulhasnagar, Ratnagiri, Nashik, Jalgaon, Dhule, Malegaon, Nandurbar and Ahmednagar districts. He will meet functionaries from Aurangabad, Parbhani, Jalna, Hingoli, Beed, Nanded, Latur and Osmanabad on June 23.

The NCP had won 41 seats in the 2014 Assembly polls, while it won five seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, including four from Maharashtra.

Party sources said out of 288 seats, NCP may get 135 to 144 to contest, with a leader claiming that it was aiming to win at least 100 seats.