MUMBAI: Despite reservations from party members, Sharad Pawar re-nominated young OBC leader Beed MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar, whose house was set on fire during Maratha protests last year. Among the 22 candidates announced in the second list of the NCP (SP) on Saturday, two are MPs from the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, who recently returned to the Sharad Pawar fold. Pawar also fielded Manikrao Shinde, a Maratha, opposite NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal in Yeola.

Kshirsagar’s and Prakash Solanke’s (NCP-AP) house was set on fire by Maratha activists upset over OBC troops and politicians opposing Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s demand for reservation from the OBC category. Following the agitation, a divide emerged between the two communities; In Beed, this was so stark that BJP leader and prominent OBC face Pankaja Munde lost the Lok Sabha election to NCP (SP) candidate Bajrang Sonawane.

A section of leaders in the NCP (SP) were in favor of fielding a Maratha candidate from Beed to ensure victory in this polarized atmosphere. There were speculations that Jyoti Mete, widow of late Maratha leader Vinayak Mete, who joined the NCP (SP) last week, might be a candidate, but Pawar decided to re-nominate Kshirsagar.

“Electoral merit is an important criterion for candidate selection,” party spokesperson Anish Gawande said. “Sandeep Kshirsagar is a stalwart who remained with the party during the split.” A party leader who participated in the election process said there was pressure to field the Maratha candidate in Beed. “But Pawar Saheb wanted to convey the message that the party will not allow community attire to dictate its candidates,” he said.

However, the Pawar faction has fielded Maratha candidate Manikrao Shinde against NCP minister Bhujbal, who was once Pawar’s close aide but chose to go with Ajit Pawar. Bhujbal is a leading OBC candidate but faces strong opposition from Marathas; Jarange-Patil appealed to the community in Nashik district to ensure his defeat.

NCP (SP) has also fielded Omi Kalani, son of former controversial Ulhasnagar MLA Pappu Kalani, against BJP’s Kumar Ailani. The Kalani and Ailani families are political rivals in Ulhasnagar.

The list also includes two legislators who left the Ajit Pawar NCP to return to the Sharad Pawar fold: MLA Deepak Chavan from Phaltan constituency and MLC Satish Chavan who joined from Gangapur constituency. Satish Chavan was seen as a close aide of Ajit Pawar.

In Akole constituency of Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar), Pawar ignored senior BJP leader Madhukar Pichad’s demand to field his son Sandeep and opted for a young face, Amit Bhangare, instead. Pichad was Pawar’s aide for a long time but defected to the BJP before the 2014 assembly elections. He was reportedly willing to return, but only on the condition that his son be punished.

Pawar has also chosen young face Satyasheel Sherkar to contest NCP MLA Atul Benke in Junnar in Pune district. Benke had also met Pawar several times, leading to speculation that he wanted to join him.