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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list of 99 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, scheduled for November 20, 2024. This list features several prominent leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and Nitesh Rane, among others. The elections will be a major event in Maharashtra, with the BJP forming a crucial part of the ruling “Mahayuti” coalition, which includes Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Key Candidates and Seats
The first list announced by the BJP highlights the candidacy of several key figures within the party:
- Devendra Fadnavis will contest from Nagpur South West, a seat he has represented since 2009. Fadnavis, a prominent figure in the BJP, has a stronghold in Nagpur, which is considered a BJP bastion. The area also overlaps with the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, further strengthening the party’s influence in the region.
- Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the state BJP president, is set to contest from Kamthi. Bawankule is an influential leader in Maharashtra politics and is expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming elections.
- Sudhir Mungantiwar, a senior BJP leader and current minister in the Maharashtra government, has been nominated to contest from Ballarpur.
- Other key candidates include Nitesh Rane from Kankavli, Ashish Shelar from Vandre West, Mangal Prabhat Lodha from Malabar Hill, Rahul Narvekar from Colaba, and Chhatrapati Shivendra Raje Bhosale from Satara.
One notable inclusion in the list is Srijaya Chavan, daughter of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. She will contest from the Bhokar constituency in Nanded district. This marks her formal entry into electoral politics and is seen as a significant move by the BJP to appeal to the younger electorate.
Seat Distribution and Alliance Dynamics
Maharashtra has a total of 288 Assembly constituencies, and the BJP is set to contest 151 of these seats. The remaining seats will be contested by its allies in the Mahayuti alliance: Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP. The alliance has resolved internal disagreements over seat sharing, following a late-night meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. This meeting was crucial in ensuring that the alliance partners go into the elections united and without conflict over key seats.
The BJP has strategically positioned its candidates in regions where it has historically performed well, while also making some bold decisions by fielding new candidates in areas where the competition is expected to be tough.
Nagpur: A Stronghold for Fadnavis and the BJP
Devendra Fadnavis’s decision to once again contest from Nagpur South West comes as no surprise, given his long-standing connection to the region. Nagpur is a stronghold for the BJP, and Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has been a dominant force in the state’s politics for over a decade. His re-nomination from this constituency is seen as a strategic move to ensure that the BJP maintains its influence in the region, which is also represented by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at the national level.
The Nagpur region holds significant importance for the BJP, as the party has won four out of the six Assembly seats that fall within the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency. This area is expected to be a key battleground in the upcoming elections, and Fadnavis’s presence will be vital for the BJP to secure a win.
Election Context: The Mahayuti vs. Maha Vikas Aghadi
The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections will be a contest between two major alliances: the ruling Mahayuti, consisting of the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP.
The Mahayuti government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has been in power since Shinde’s split from the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray. Shinde’s alliance with the BJP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction has solidified the current government’s standing. The upcoming elections will be a critical test of whether the Mahayuti can retain power in the state.
On the other side, the MVA, led by Uddhav Thackeray, will seek to regain control after being ousted from power in 2022. The MVA’s campaign will focus on criticizing the current government’s policies and attempting to capitalize on any divisions within the ruling coalition.
Election Timeline and Key Dates
Maharashtra will go to the polls on November 20, 2024, with all 288 Assembly seats being contested in a single phase. The counting of votes is scheduled for November 23, 2024, and the results will determine the future political landscape of the state.
The announcement of the first list of candidates marks the beginning of what is expected to be an intense and closely fought election campaign. The BJP is banking on its strong organizational structure and alliance strategy to win the elections, while the opposition will aim to challenge the ruling coalition’s governance.
With major political figures like Devendra Fadnavis and Chandrashekhar Bawankule leading the charge for the BJP, the party is positioning itself as the frontrunner in this electoral battle. However, the opposition MVA, with its own strong base and leadership, promises a tough fight.
The stage is set for a high-stakes contest in Maharashtra, as both alliances gear up for a crucial election that will shape the state’s future.
