The dynasts dominate the candidate lists of every major party in contention for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections, with both the incumbent Mahayuti and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalitions fielding many nominees belonging to influential political families across the state. While the Mahayuti comprises the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-headed Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the MVA consists of the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). In the Mahayuti camp, of the state’s 288 Assembly seats, the BJP has fielded 152 candidates, the Shinde Sena 78 and the Ajit NCP 52. From the MVA, the Congress has put up 104 candidates, the Uddhav Sena 96 and the Pawar Sena 87. There is a slew of debutants in the fray who belong to various influential political families in the state. While the BJP, Congress, and NCP (SP) have each fielded at least 9 first-timer dynasts, the Shinde Sena, Uddhav Sena and NCP have fielded at least 8, 5 and one such faces respectively. BJP Former CM and Congress leader Ashok Chavan switched to the BJP earlier this year and is now a Rajya Sabha MP. The BJP has fielded his daughter Sreejaya Chavan from his Bhokar constituency in Nanded district. In Pune’s Chinchwad seat, the BJP has nominated former party MLA late Laxman Jagtap's brother Shankar Jagtap. Amol Jawale, son of late BJP MLA Haribhau Jawale, has been nominated from the Raver seat in Jalgaon. In Shrigonda seat in Ahliyanagar, the BJP has nominated Pratibha Pachpute, wife of sitting party MLA Babanrao Pachpute. The BJP's Mumbai president Ashish Shelar's brother Vinod Shelar, former corporator, has been given the ticket from Malad seat. Rahul Awade, son of former minister Prakash Awade, will contest as the BJP candidate from Ichalkaranji. Sulabha Gaikwad, wife of sitting party MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, will contest on the party ticket from his Kalyan East constituency. Ganpat is serving a jail term for firing at a worker of the Shinde Sena. In Karanja, the BJP has fielded former MLA late Prakash Dahake's wife Sai Dahake. In Latur city, the party has given ticket to Archana Patil-Chakurkar, daughter-in-law of Congress stalwart Shivraj Patil. Shinde Sena The Shinde Sena has allotted poll tickets to several debutants who are from the families of its prominent leaders. In Paithan, the party has fielded Vilas Bhumare, son of MP Sandipan Bhumre, who was earlier a minister in the Shinde Cabinet. In the Jogeshwari east seat, the Shinde Sena has nominated Manisha Waikar, wife of Ravindra Waikar who won the Mumbai North West parliamentary seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The party gave ticket to Kiran Samant from the Rajapur seat, who is the brother of minister Uday Samant. It fielded Abhijit Adsul, son of former MP Anand Adsul, from the Daryapur seat. The Shinde Sena fielded Suhas Babar, son of late legislator Anil Babar, from the Khanapur seat in Sangli district. Anil Babar passed in January this year. Sitting Sena MLA Chimanrao Patil's son Amol got the party ticket from his Erandol Assembly seat. The BJP’s Nilesh Rane, son of former CM and Union minister Naryan Rane, joined the Shinde Sena last week to contest on its ticket from the Kudal-Sawantwadi Assembly seat as part of the Mahayuti’s “internal arrangement”. This is Nilesh’s maiden Assembly election although he has been a former MP. Similarly, BJP leader and former Union minister Raosaheb Danve's daughter Sanjana Jadhav has also been given the Sena ticket from the Kannad seat. NCP The Ajit Pawar NCP has given ticket to former minister Nawab Malik’s daughter Sana from his Anushakti Nagar seat in Mumbai Suburban. Malik will himself contest from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency in the belt. Congress The Congress has given tickets to a number of first-timers belonging to various political families. In Raver in Jalgaon district, it has fielded Dhananjay Choudhari, son of Shirish Choudhari who is the sitting MLA from the constituency. In Saoner, former MLA Sunil Kedar's wife Anuja is fighting on the Congress’s ticket. The party has fielded its Lok Sabha MP Pratibha Dhanorkar's brother Pravin Kakade from Chandrapur's Warora. Former minister Shivajirao Moghe's son Jitendra is contesting as a party candidate from Arni in Yavatmal district. In Nanded's Naigaon, Congress candidate Minal Patil-Khatgaonkar is the daughter-in-law of former MP Bhaskarrao Patil-Khatgaonkar, while ex-MLA late Bharat Bhalke's son Bhagirath is the party nominee from the Pandharpur seat. From Karvir seat in Kolhapur, former MLA late P N Patil's son Rahul Patil is contesting on the Congress’s ticket while Kolhapur MP Shahu Maharaj Chhatrapati's daughter-in-law Madhurimaraje Chhatrapati is the party candidate from Kolhapur north. Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad's sister Jyoti is contesting from the city’s Dharavi seat. Uddhav Sena The Shiv Sena (UBT) has also given tickets to several new faces from various political families. The party has pitted Varun Sardesai, Uddhav’s nephew, from Bandra East against the NCP’s Zeeshan Siddique. In CM Shinde's constituency Kopri Majiwada in Thane district, the Sena UBT has fielded Kedar Dighe, nephew of late Sena stalwart Aanand Dighe, against him. The party has nominated Advay Hiray from the Maegaon (outer) seat, who is the son of former minister Prashant Hiray and brother of ex-MLA Apurva Hiray. The Uddhav Sena has fielded Vaishali Suryavanshi from Pachora, who is the daughter of party leader late R O Patil. After Patil's death, his nephew Kishor had become an MLA on the undivided Sena’s ticket. Following the party’s split, Kishor sided with Shinde. Vaishali however stood by the Uddhav Sena. Snehal Jagtap, wife of former Congress MLA late Manikrao Jagtap, has been given the Sena (UBT) ticket from his Mahad seat. NCP (SP) The NCP(SP) has fielded party chief Sharad Pawar's grandnephew Yugenda Pawar from the Baramati seat where he will take on his uncle Ajit Pawar. The Pawar NCP has nominated Ahmednagar MP Nilesh Lanke's wife Rani from the Parner seat. Former minister R R Patil's son Rohit Patil will contest on its ticket from the Tasgaon-Kavathemahankal constituency. Party MLC Eknath Khadse's daughter Rohini Khadse is contesting the Muktainagar seat in Jalgaon. In Washim's Karanja seat, former BJP MLA late Rajendra Patni's son Dyayak Patni is the NCP(SP)’s candidate. Wardha MP Amar Kale's wife Mayura is fighting as a party nominee from the Arvi seat. Former state home minister Anil Deshmukh's son Salil has been fielded as the NCP(SP)’s candidate from Katol in Nagpur district. The party has fielded former MLA Pappu Kalani's son Omi from the Ulhasnagar seat. NCP minister Dharmrao Atram's daughter Bhagyashri is contesting on the NCP(SP)’s ticket against her father. MNS The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena(MNS) has fielded party supremo Raj Thackeray’s son Amit Thackeray, 32, from the Mahim constituency, which has marked his launch into electoral politics.
