New Delhi: Today is the last day of filing the nominations for the upcoming Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections, which will take place on October 15. The filing of nominations will end at 3 pm.
Maharashtra is all set to witness one of the most interesting assembly polls in its history. The splits in the rival alliances of BJP-Shiv Sena and Congress-NCP have electrified the political atmosphere. The fifth player in the state is Raj Thackarey's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which almost lost its presence following spectacular performance by the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the recent Lok Sabha polls. The alliance had secured 42 of the 48 seats in the state. The party is contesting on 156 seats.
While the BJP is contesting 245 seats, the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP are likely to field their candidates on more than 260 seats.
The BJP has given remaining 43 seats to its allies. BJP president Amit Shah is in Mumbai today to oversee party's poll preparedness.
The Republican Party of India (PRI) chief Ramdas Athawale has not yet declared his party's stand on any alliance. It is reported that Athawale is holding talks with both Shiva Sena and the BJP. The party is contesting on 35 seats.
Uttar Pradesh's rivals the Samajwadi Party (SP) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are contesting on 20 and 200 seats respectively in the state.
The Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) is entering the fray with 20 seats.
The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) has fielded candidates on 36 seats.
In Haryana, the filing of nomination by different political party candidates is in full swing. Senior politicians of the state including Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on Friday filed their nominations. Hooda in 2009 assembly polls had won from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency of Rohtak district.
Leader of BJP legislative group in the state assembly, Anil Vij, filed has also filed papers from Ambala Cantonment.
Polling in both states will be held in a single phase on October 15 whereas counting is slated for October 19.
