In a significant political shift, Fahad Ahmad, former state president of the Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha and husband of actor Swara Bhaskar, has joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the leadership of Sharad Pawar. Ahmad has been nominated as the NCP-SCP candidate from Anushakti Nagar constituency, where he will face off against Sana Malik of the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
During a press conference, NCP-SCP leader Jayant Patil expressed confidence in Ahmad’s leadership abilities. “Fahad Ahmad is a well-educated young Muslim who has served as an activist across the country. People are looking for young leaders with fresh perspectives,” said Patil. “After discussions with the Samajwadi Party, Ahmad agreed to join us, and we are pleased to have him as our candidate for Anushakti Nagar.”
Ahmad, who thanked both Sharad Pawar and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, expressed his gratitude for the support and opportunity. “I am deeply thankful to Sharad Pawar and Akhilesh Yadav for nominating me as a candidate. This represents a major step for me, and I am committed to serving the people of Anushakti Nagar,” he stated.
NCP-SCP’s Candidate List Expands
The NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) released its second candidate list on Friday, which includes 22 candidates from various constituencies across Maharashtra. Jayant Patil announced the list in Mumbai, introducing prominent candidates such as:
- Satish Anna Patil (Erandol – 16)
- Sandeep Kshirsagar (Beed – 230)
- Deepika Chavan (Baglan – 116)
- Omi Kalani (Ulhasnagar – 141)
- Amit Bhangre (Akole – 216)
- Abhishek Kalamkar (Ahilya Nagar – 225)
This follows the release of the first list on October 24, which included 45 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. In total, the NCP-SCP will field candidates for 85 seats in collaboration with its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance partners—Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction). The coalition plans to contest 255 out of 288 seats, dividing 85 seats per party, with the remaining 23 seats to be allocated from candidate pools.
Maharashtra Assembly Election Date
The Maharashtra Assembly election will be held on November 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23. In the last elections, the BJP emerged as the leading party with 105 seats, while the Shiv Sena secured 56 seats, and the Congress held 44 seats. This time, the alliance aims to strengthen its hold in Maharashtra, countering the BJP’s performance in 2014, where it held 122 seats.
