In an internal survey for the Congress in Maharashtra, the party is showing a similar trend to that observed in the recent Lok Sabha elections. According to early surveys, the Congress is likely to emerge as the single largest party with over 80 seats in the 288-member state Assembly. Meanwhile, there is intense competition between the BJP and Sharad Pawar-led NCP for the second position. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Sena are also vying for the third position. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s NCP is expected to replicate its poor performance from the LS polls.Sharad Pawar to focus on western MaharashtraAfter achieving the highest strike rate in the recent Lok Sabha elections, former Union Minister Sharad Pawar has decided to focus on his stronghold in western Maharashtra by identifying potential candidates for the state assembly elections. Samarjeetsinh Ghatge, the son of late two-time MLA Vikramsinh Ghatge and a member of the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj family, is likely to contest against NCP Minister Hasan Mushriff in the Kagal constituency. Ghatge has announced his decision to join the NCP (SP). Additionally, BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil from Indapur.Ajit Pawar’s search for new constituencyDeputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s decision to withdraw from the Baramati state assembly seat and pave the way for his son has prompted him to search for a more secure constituency. Ajit Pawar suffered a major setback in the Lok Sabha elections when his spouse, Sunetra Pawar, lost by 158,333 votes to Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule. Ajit Pawar also faced a significant blow when his spouse trailed by over 40,000 votes in the Baramati state assembly segment, which he has represented since 1991. Given that he could not secure a lead for his spouse in his constituency, there are growing concerns about his chances in Baramati. Sudhir SuryawanshiOur correspondent in Maharashtrasuryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com
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