It's kinship for kingship in Maharashtra Assembly polls

The kin of six former chief ministers, three deputy chief ministers and top politicians are in fray for the the October 21 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls as nepotism seems to be at its best. In some cases, relatives are fighting against each other.

More than 100 candidates in the 288 seats are relatives of senior politicians, a cursory look of the four big parties - BJP, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP - will reveal. Two sons of late CM and Congressman Vilasrao Deshmukh are contesting the polls -- while Amit is seeking re-election from Latur City, his youngest brother Dhiraj is making a debut from Latur Rural.

Their brother Riteish, an actor in Hindi and Marathi cinema, is expected to join them during the campaign trail.

Former CM Sushilkumar Shinde's daughter Pranati (Congress) is seeking re-elections from Solapur City Central. Former CM late Shankarrao Chavan's son Ashok is contesting the polls form Bhokar. Incidentally, Ashok, also had been the CM and ex-state Congress president. Former CM Shivajirao Patil-Nilangekar's son Ashok (Congress) will contest the Nilanga seat.

Nilangekar's grandson Sambaji Nilangekar-Patil, who is son of the former's estranged daughter-in-law and ex-MP Rupatai Nilangekar, will contest the Latur seat. Former CM and NCP founder-president Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit, who is a former deputy CM, is contesting the family seat of Baramati. Ajit's nephew Rohit is contesting the Karjat Jamkhed seat.

Former CM and MSP founder Narayan Rane's son Nitesh, who left the Congress to join BJP, is seeking re-election from Kankavli. Former deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal is contesting the Yeola seat while his son Pankaj from the Nangaon seat. In Parli, late Gopinath Munde's daughter Pankaja (BJP) and nephew Dhananjay (NCP) have locked horns in a direct fight.

Sandeep Kshirsagar, the estranged nephew of former NCP leader Jaydutt Kshirsagar, who had joined the Sena and became a minister in Devendra Fadnavis-government, has been given a ticket from Beed, from where he will be contesting against his uncle.

Late union minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil's son Radhakrishna, who resigned as leader of opposition and quit Congress to join BJP and become a minister, will seek reelection from Shirdi.

Former state Congress president Prataprao Bhosale's son Madan (BJP) is contesting from Wai. BJP's Devyani Farande, daughter-in-law of NS Farande, ex-deputy chairman of Council, will contest from Nashik Central.

Akash Phundkar (BJP), the son of late agriculture minister Bhausaheb Phundkar has been given ticket from Khamgaon. Ranajagjitsinh Patil, the son of Pawar's relative Padamsinh Patil, who resigned the NCP to join BJP will contest form Tuljapur. Former state Congress president Ranjit Deshmukh's son Ashish, who resigned from the BJP to join Congress, will take on Fadnavis in Nagpur South West.

Srinivas Wanaga of Shiv Sena, the son of late BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga, has been given ticket from Palghar-ST seat.

The BJP has fielded veteran Eknath Khadse's daughter Rohini from his Muktainagar constituency. Khadse, who had been representing Muktainagar since 1991, was once a CM aspirant and No 2 to Fadnavis but has now been sidelined.