Mumbai: As Maharashtra gears up for its upcoming Assembly elections on November 20, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its campaign by unveiling a second list of 22 candidates on Saturday. This release follows the initial announcement on October 20, which listed 99 candidates, bringing the BJP’s total count of declared candidates to 121. With competition heating up, the new list includes prominent figures such as Ram Bhadane for Dhule Rural, Chainsukh Sancheti for Malkapur, Prakash Bharsakale for Akot, Vijay Agarwal for Akola West, and Shyam Khode for Washim.
In key urban seats, BJP has fielded well-known leaders: Sunil Gyandev Kamble from Pune Cantt, Devyani Farande from Nashik Central, and Kumar Ailani from Ulhasnagar. Additional candidates, like Milind Narote for Gadchiroli, Devrao Bhogle for Rajura, and Krishnalal Sahare for Brahmapuri, reflect the party’s strategy to consolidate support across urban and rural Maharashtra.
The BJP’s first list notably featured Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from the high-profile Nagpur South-West constituency and BJP’s Maharashtra President Chandrashekhar Bawankule from Kamathi. This strategic placement signals BJP’s determination to fortify its hold in both its traditional strongholds and key swing regions.
The Maharashtra Assembly election will see a face-off between two heavyweight alliances: the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprised of BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction; and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), formed by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction. Both alliances are vying for a decisive victory to shape Maharashtra’s political landscape for the next term, with key issues such as economic growth, job creation, and rural development taking center stage.
The Mahayuti alliance, seeking to capitalize on its incumbent advantage, hopes to consolidate votes across its rural and urban bases. Meanwhile, the MVA is pushing for a comeback, leveraging its broad coalition of regional heavyweights and promises to address pressing concerns like unemployment and farmer distress. With both sides rallying in full force, Maharashtra’s voters are set to witness a highly charged electoral battle this November.
