Maharashtra Elections 2024: Congress finalises candidates for 62 assembly seats, picks Vasantrao Chavan's son for Nanded LS bypolls

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Wednesday said that his party has cleared the names of 62 candidates for the assembly polls in Maharashtra. The Congress will have a CEC meeting on Sunday (October 20). For the Nanded Parliamentary by-election, the state leadership has suggested just one name -- the son of Vasantrao Chavan, Patole said while speaking to reporters. 

In August this year, Vasant Chavan, who had won the Nanded constituency for Congress, passed away after a prolonged illness. Chavan became a member of Lok Sabha for the first time in his political career in 2024 by defeating BJP strongman and MP Pratap Patil Chikhlikar from Nanded in Marathwada region.

Now, the Congress has decided to field his son, Ravindra Chavan. 

Meanwhile, the BJP's central election committee also met on Wednesday to finalise candidates for the Maharashtra polls. The CEC deliberated upon those seats that the BJP is keen to contest in the elections to the 288-member assembly. BJP sources have expressed the view that the party will look to contest on around 150 seats, leaving the rest for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led NCP, according to news agency PTI. 

Earlier in the day, Bawankule said Shinde should be willing to make "sacrifices" in terms of the seat-sharing arrangement for the assembly polls like the BJP has done to keep the alliance intact. "Chief Minister Eknath Shinde must remain open-minded and be willing to make sacrifices. We, too, have made sacrifices to uphold the alliance. It is evident that the BJP aims to contest the seats we previously held," Bawankule said. 

Polling in Maharashtra is scheduled for November 20 and the counting will take place on November 23.