NCP(SP) fourth list: Anil Deshmukh fields son in Katol, says ruling side planned to disqualify his application

“The reason I did not file my nomination is that the ruling side had planned to disqualify my application by finding technical problems in it. Senior counsels from Delhi have been brought for this. The manner in which Rashmi Barve’s nomination was cancelled, the same was to be done with me,” Deshmukh said.

Barve was Congress candidate from the Ramtek Lok Sabha seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. Her caste certificate was rejected by the scrutiny committee then. However, after the election process, the court upheld her certificate and even imposed fines on government officials.

“Had I contested the election, new cases would have been filed against me. Therefore I decided to field Salil,” he said, adding that the MVA government will be formed after the polls and he still will become the minister in the new government.

Meanwhile, in the fourth list of the NCP (SP), Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s close aide Ramesh Thorat will contest from Daund against BJP’s Rahul Kul. In the 2019 Assembly polls, Thorat lost by a slim margin against Kul.

In the other five seats, the party fielded Prabhakar Gharge from Man and Arunadevi Pisal from Wai in Satara district. Vaibhav Patil will contest from Khanapur, Sandip Bedse from Sindkheda and Sharad Maind has been fielded from Pusad.