Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Tuesday night released its second list of 45 candidates for the assembly elections in the state. Raj Thackeray's son Amit will contest from the Mahim assembly seat in Mumbai.
Here, he will be faced with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's Sada Sarvankar. Sarvankar was elected the Mahim assembly constituency for two consecutive times in 2014 and 2019. Sandeep Deshpande has been fielded from Worli, where is likely to face off against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.
Other notable candidates include Avinash Jadhav from Thane City, Sandesh Desai from Versova and Mahesh Farkase from Kandivali East. The only MNS MLA Pramod Patil has been renominated from the Kalyan Rural seat in Thane.
Check full list of candidates here
On Monday, the MNS also announced the candidature of Raju Patil from Kalyan Rural constituency for the upcoming assembly polls. Thackeray said at a function: "I will oversee the filing of nomination papers for Jadhav and Patil on October 24."
Earlier this year, Raj Thackeray announced that the MNS will not go with either the Mahayuti or the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the Maharashtra elections, adding the party will contest solo in the state. He expressed confidence in his party's strength and said that the MNS will be in government.
In the last two assembly elections, the MNS secured only one seat. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released their first lists of candidates.
The nomination process for the election to the 288-member assembly ends on October 29 and papers of candidates will be scrutinised the next day.
The last day to withdraw the nominations is November 4. Voting in Maharashtra will take place in a single phase on November 20 and the results will be declared on November 23.