NCP fields Pawaskar, Jadhav for council by-polls

Mumbai, Feb 8 (PTI) Nationalist Congress Party todaynominated Kiran Pawaskar, a former Shiv Sena MLC, as itscandidate for the Legislative council by-election slated forFebruary 21.

The by-election was necessitated due to Pawaskar''sresignation from the Upper House of the MaharashtraLegislature last month when he quit the Sena to join NCP.

NCP president Madhukar Pichad said that the decisionto nominate Pawaskar has been taken after discussions withCongress state president Manikrao Thakre and Chief MinisterPrithviraj Chavan.

Earlier, Congress had staked its claim for the seat,saying that Pawaskar had won the seat as a Shiv Sena candidatedefeating Congress''s Sudhakar Gangane.

"Technically, it is the Congress seat," state unitCongress chief Manikrao Thakre had said last week.

However, his NCP counterpart had rejected the Congressclaim saying that getting Pawaskar re-elected was a prestigeissue for his party.

"He gave up his seat to join us. Getting himre-elected is prestige issue for us," Pichad had said.

For the February 28 by-election to Legislative councilfrom the Nashik local bodies constituency, NCP has decided tofield Jayant Jadhav, a former corporator from Nashik.

The election was necessitated due to the death ofsitting NCP MLC Vasant Pawar.

Pichad said both Jadhav and Pawaskar were candidatesof the ruling coalition and decision to field them has beentaken after discussions with the Congress leadership.