Congress has locked in 12 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, with further discussions planned with key leaders. Nana Patole, the President of the Maharashtra unit, confirmed the development after a meeting of the Congress' Central Election Committee on Wednesday. He stated that the remaining seats will be finalized after a meeting with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar scheduled for today.

"We've finalized candidates for 12 seats out of the 18-19 seats discussed. Tomorrow, we meet with Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray to finalize all seats," said Patole.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi was absent from the meeting, which was attended by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other members.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Chennithala assured that the coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi, remains strong amid the candidate selection process.

The Congress, under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge, has been deliberating on candidates not only for Maharashtra but also for Gujarat and Rajasthan.

In a separate development, Bajrang Sonawane, previously aligned with Ajit Pawar's faction within the NCP, has switched sides to join Sharad Pawar's NCP. Sonawane, known for his support to Ajit Pawar, expressed his readiness to take on any responsibility within the NCP.

Sonawane's move comes amidst changing political dynamics in Maharashtra, with key leaders making strategic alliances ahead of the elections. He pledged his full support to the NCP's candidate from Beed, reflecting his loyalty to the party.

Sharad Pawar welcomed Sonawane back into the party fold and acknowledged his past contributions. Pawar assured party workers that a decision regarding Sonawane's candidacy for the Beed constituency would be made after careful consideration.

Pawar emphasized the need for thoughtful decision-making in candidate selections, urging against hasty political moves based solely on local issues.

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