BJP Announces 99 Candidates for Maharashtra Assembly Elections
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list of 99 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is set to contest from his stronghold, Nagpur South West, as the party positions itself for a competitive election in the state.
Key Candidates in the BJP’s First List
The BJP’s list includes prominent leaders from across Maharashtra. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule will contest from Kamthi, while Shrijaya Chavan, daughter of BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan, has been nominated from Bhokar.
Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar will contest from the Vandre West seat, and Nitesh Rane, son of senior BJP leader Narayan Rane, will run from Kankavli, a seat he currently represents. Other significant names include Girish Mahajan from Jamner, Sudhir Mungantiwar from Ballarpur, Mangal Prabhat Lodha from Malabar Hill, and Rahul Narwekar from Colaba. Additionally, Chhatrapati Shivendra Raje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, will contest from Satara.
Election Dates and Coalition Status
Maharashtra will hold assembly elections for 288 seats on November 20, with results set to be announced on November 23. The BJP, part of the Mahayuti alliance along with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is still in negotiations over seat-sharing with its allies. The party is aiming to contest around 150 seats.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, while its ally Shiv Sena won 56, and Congress 44. However, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections saw the BJP-led Mahayuti win just 17 of the 48 seats, while the Congress-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) took 30 seats, adding to the competitive atmosphere in the state for the upcoming elections.
