On Saturday, the Congress party announced its third list of 16 candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 20. With this latest list, the total number of candidates put forth by the Congress now stands at 87.
The selected candidates include Rana Dalipkumar Sanada for the Khamgaon seat, Hemant Nanda Chimote from Melghat, Manohar Tulshiram Poreti for Gadchiroli, Manikrao Thakare in Digras, Mohanrao Marotrao Ambade for Nanded South, Nivruttirao Kondiba Kamble from Deglur, Hanmantrao Venjkatrao Patil Betmogarekar for Mukhed, Ejaj Beg Ajij Beg in Malegaon Central, and Shirishkumar Vasantrao Kotwal representing Chandvad.
Additional candidates include Lakibhau Bhika Jadhav for Iqatupri, Dayanand Motiram Choraghe in Bhiwandi West, Sachin Sawant from Andheri West, Asif Zakaria from Vandre West, Kuldepp Dhiraj Appasaheb Kdam Patil representing Tuljapur, Rajesh Bharat Latkar for Kolhapur North, and Prithviraj Gulabrao Patil in Sangli.
Earlier this week, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance disclosed its seat-sharing plan, allocating 85 seats each to the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), with 23 additional seats to be filled based on party candidate lists.
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole confirmed that each party in the alliance will contest 85 seats. As the election date approaches, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), as well as the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), are ramping up their campaign efforts.
The nomination process for the 288 assembly seats has commenced, with voting planned for November 20 and results to be announced on November 23. In the previous Maharashtra assembly elections in 2019, the BJP secured 105 seats, the Shiv Sena won 56, and the Congress captured 44 seats. In 2014, the BJP achieved 122 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 63 and the Congress 42.