The ruling Mahayuti alliance, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has almost finalised its seat sharing deal for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls. The arrangement was finalised a meeting attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, CM Shinde, and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
The meeting took place at Shah's residence and lasted nearly three hours. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to contest on 156 seats in Maharashtra this time whereas the Shiv Sena may fight on 78 seats. Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) may get 54 seats, News18 reported citing sources.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list featuring 99 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections. The list features Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis from his stronghold Nagpur South West and state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule from Kamthi.
Other notable candidates include Rahul Narwekar (Colaba), Mangal Prabhat Lodha (Malabar Hill), Ashish Shelar (Vandre West), and Ram Kadam (Ghatkopar West). In its list, the BJP named at least a dozen candidates who have links to political veterans.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan's daughter Sreejaya Chavan will contest from the familyn stronghold of Bhokar. Ashok Chavan joined the BJP in February this year. Former Union Minister Narayan Rane's son Nitesh Rane has been renominated from the Kankavli seat in Sindhudurg district.
Ex-Union Minister Raosaheb Danve's son Santosh Danve has been renominated from Bhokardan. Former minister and ex-CM Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar's grandson Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar has been fielded from Nilanga in Latur district.
BJP Mumbai President Ashish Shelar's brother and former corporator Vinod Shelar has been given the ticket from Malad. Rahul Awade, son of former minister Prakash Awade, will contest from Ichalkaranji.
Sulabha Gaikwad, wife of sitting MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, will contest from the Kalyan East assembly constituency. Ganpat Gaikwad is serving a jail term for firing at a Shiv Sena worker.
Former MP Anil Shirole's son Siddharth Shirole has got a ticket from the Shivaji Nagar seat in Pune. In Chinchwad, late MLA Laxman Jagtap's wife Ashwini Jagtap replaced her brother-in-law Shankar Jagtap.
Amol Jawale, son of the late BJP MLA from Raver Haribhau Jawale, will contest from the Raver assembly seat in the Jalgaon district. Pratibha Pachpute, nominated from Shrigonda seat in Ahliyanagar, is the wife of sitting BJP MLA Babanrao Pachpute.
Shiv Sena and NCP are yet to announce their list of candidates. Voting across all 288 assembly constituencies will be held in a single phase on November 20. The counting of votes and results will be declared on November 23.