On Saturday, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) unveiled its second list of 22 candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The seven sitting MLAs on the list are, Prakash Bharsakale (Akot), Devayani Pharande (Nashik Central), Kumar Ayalani (Ulhasnagar), Ravindra Patil (Pen), Bhimrao Tapkir (Khadakwasla), Sunil Kamble (Pune Cantonment) and Samadhan Autade (Pandharpur).
As a result, the BJP has now nominated candidates for 121 seats overall, up from its original 99-seat list. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (the part led by Eknath Shinde), and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, has not yet finalized the modalities of seat-sharing. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said this morning, the three allies are still debating how to divide the remaining seven to eight seats for the state assembly elections next month. While Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has only provided one list of candidates thus far, the BJP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, the other two partners in the Mahayuti alliance, have released two.
The Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) each have 85 seats in the 255 constituencies that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has finalized its seat-sharing agreement for. The candidate lists from each party will be used to determine the remaining 23 seats. The opposition MVA and the Mahayuti coalition are holding more negotiations to finalize seat-sharing deals as the Maharashtra Assembly elections draw near. The Mahayuti alliance concentrates on allocating its remaining seats as the MVA resolves internal conflicts.
In 2014, the BJP scored a larger victory with 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42. In 2019, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56, and Congress 44. Voting for the state’s 288-seat assembly in 2024 will begin on November 20 and be counted on November 23.
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