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BJP Releases First List of Candidates for Maharashtra Assembly Election; Fadnavis, Bawankule among Key Candidates
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, naming 99 candidates, including prominent leaders like Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
Fadnavis is set to contest from his stronghold, the Nagpur South West seat, while Bawankule will contest from Kamthi. Other notable names on the list include Ram Kadam from Ghatkopar West, Shweta Mahale Patil from Chikli, Sreejaya Ashok Chavan from Bhokar, Nitesh Rane from Kankavli, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil from Shirdi, Chandrakant Patil from Kothrud, Ashish Shelar from Bandra West, and Santosh Danve, son of former Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, from Bhokardan.
Among the fresh entrants is Sreejaya Chavan, daughter of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who switched from Congress to join the BJP earlier this year. Her inclusion highlights the BJP's strategy to broaden its influence by attracting defectors from opposition parties.
Five sitting MLAs have been dropped as the party announced its list of 99 candidates for the upcoming elections, with 89 of those being current MLAs. Among the replacements is Kamthi MLA Tekchand Savarkar, who had garnered attention for his controversial remarks. His seat will now be contested by Chandrashekhar Bawankule, marking his return to electoral politics after being sidelined in 2019.
The BJP’s candidate list prominently features leaders from the OBC, Maratha, and Adivasi communities, reflecting a strategic focus on these key voter segments that form the backbone of the party’s support in the state.
In Mumbai, the BJP has fielded 14 sitting candidates out of the 36 Assembly seats. In the 2019 elections, the party secured 17 seats in the city and aims to either match or exceed that performance this year.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with results to be announced on November 23. In the previous 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party, winning 105 out of 288 seats, while the Shiv Sena followed with 56 seats. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress secured 54 and 44 seats, respectively.
