Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena has cancelled the tickets of two sitting MPs ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024. The development comes days after Amit Shah held meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar over the seat-sharing formula.
Hingoli MP Hemant Patil has now been replaced by Baburao Kadam Kohlikar. Shinde also replaced Bhavana Gawali, the longstanding MP from Yavatmal-Washim. In order to placate Hemant Patil, his wife Rajashree has been nominated to contest for the seat. Notably, the BJP-led NDA has set the target of winning more than 45 seats in the state.
Meanwhile, members of the BJP core committee in Maharashtra on Sunday held a meeting with in-charges of clusters to take stock of all 48 constituencies in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections. During the two-hour meeting, instructions were given to focus on all 48 constituencies and win them. The cluster chiefs were asked to prepare for elections thinking as if PM Modi is the candidate, a party leader said.
The BJP, a member of the Mahayuti alliance, has so far declared 24 candidates in Maharashtra while ally Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, announced nominees for eight seats and Ajit Pawar-led NCP for three seats, including Baramati. The Shiv Sena, led by Shinde, has so far announced candidates for eight constituencies, including Mumbai South Central, Kolhapur, Shirdi (SC), Buldhana, Hingoli, Maval, Hatkanangale, and Ramtek (SC). The state sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha.
