Maharashtra polls: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its first list of 99 candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly election. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will contest from the Nagpur South West Vidhan Sabha constituency.
The party has given tickets to Maharashtra BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule from Kamthi and Sreejaya Ashok Chavan from Bhokar. Notably, Sreejaya is the daughter of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who quit Congress and joined BJP in February of this year.
The list also includes the names of Mumbai BJP president Ashish Selar, fielded from the Vandre West seat, former state president Chandrakant Patil from Kothrud, and senior party leader and Lok Sabha MP Narayan Rane's son Nitesh Rane, fielded from Kankavli, a seat he currently represents in the assembly. Other prominent leaders named in the list include Ram Kadam from Ghatkopar West, Shweta Mahale Patil from Chikli, and Vijaykumar Gavit from Nandurbar (ST).
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The BJP is looking to contest around 150 seats in the state but is involved in tough bargaining with its allies and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
Maharashtra Assembly elections
The Assembly polls in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase on November 20. The votes for the state will be counted on November 23. The BJP is keen to retain power in Maharashtra along with allies Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is facing a challenge from the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of the Congress-NCPSP-Shiv SenaUBT, which hopes to repeat its performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The opposition MVA alliance won 31 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019 results
In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, of a total of 288 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party, winning 105 seats. The Shiv Sena secured 56 seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress won 54 and 44 seats respectively. Other parties that made their mark include the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) with 3 seats, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Samajwadi Party (SP) with 2 seats each, and smaller parties like PHJSP, RSPS, CPM, MNS, JSS, KTSTP, SWP, and PWPI, each securing 1 seat. Additionally, 13 seats were won by independent candidates.
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