Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mumbai: BJP’s heavyweights — Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state unit President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and their key aides — all figure in the first list of the 99 candidates for the forthcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls.
Of the 288 seats, the BJP is planning to contest 150 to 155 seats, leaving the rest for allies Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP and other smaller constituents of the Maha Yuti combine.
In the first list, the BJP has retained 71 sitting MLAs.
Fadnavis, a five-time MLA, will contest from Nagpur South West while Bawankule, who is currently a MLC, will stand for the assembly elections from the Kamtee seat.
Speaker Rahul Narwekar, who has presided over hearings of disqualification petitions vis-a-vis the two splits Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP), is contesting from Colaba.
Several second-generation and third-generation leaders figure in the first list.
Rajya Sabha MP and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s daughter Shreejaya Chavan will contest from the family seat of Bhokar. Her grandfather, the late Shankarrao Chavan, happened to be a Chief Minister too and the former Union Home Minister.
Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg MP and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane’s son has been renominated from Kankavli.
Late Congress Chief Minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar’s grandson Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar has been given ticket from Nilanga.
BJP Mumbai President Ashish Shelar has been renominated from Vandre West in Mumbai.
State ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar and Girish Mahajan have been renominated from Ballarpur and Jamner, respectively.
Senior leader and minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha will contest the elite Malabar Hill seat, which houses the ministerial bungalows and who’s who of India.
Veteran politician Vijaykumar Gavit is standing as BJP's candidate from Nandurbar (ST) seat.
Chhatrapati Shivendra Raje Bhosale, a descendent from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has been renominated from Satara. He is the cousin of Satara MP Shrimant Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale and son of late MLA Chhatrapati Abhaysinh Raje Bhosale.
Another royal family member Jaykumar Rawal has been renominated from the Sindhkheda seat.
From Tuljapur, Ranajagjitsinha Patil has also been renominated. He is son of Padmasinh Patil, the brother of NCP Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar.
The list includes 13 women.
Former minister and MLC Prof Ram Shinde, is contesting from Karjat-Jamkhed, the seat that he lost last time to Rohit Pawar, the grand-nephew of Sharad Pawar.
Three MLAs who were dropped are Ashwini Jagtap from Chinchwad, Ganpat Gaikwad from Kalyan East and Babanrao Pachpute from Shrigonda. Pachpute’s wife Pratibha Pachpute however has been given a ticket.
Similarly, Jagtap’s brother-in-law Shankar Jagtap has been given a ticket. Gaikwad, who is in jail in a firing case, has been replaced by his wife Sulabha Gaikwad.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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