Congress released its second list of candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections on Saturday, featuring 23 nominees set to contest key seats across the state. With this addition, Congress has declared candidates for 71 of the 288 seats, stepping up its strategy as it aims to solidify its base within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, a coalition with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction. Notably, the party has fielded Girish Krushnarao Pandav from Nagpur South, positioning him against BJP heavyweight and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Key Constituency Highlights
The second list introduces several noteworthy candidates for critical constituencies:
- Nagpur South: Girish Krushnarao Pandav will challenge Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
- Bhusawal: Dr. Rajesh Tukaram Manvatkar
- Jalgaon: Dr. Swati Sandip Wakekar
- Wardha: Shekhar Pramodbabu Shende
- Aurangabad East: Madhukar Krishnarao Deshmukh
- Sion Koliwada: Ganesh Kumar Yadav
- Shirol: Ganpatrao Appasaheb Patil
Congress’s strategic deployment in seats like Nagpur South underscores its intention to put up a strong fight in constituencies dominated by the BJP. Girish Pandav’s candidature against Fadnavis symbolizes the party’s commitment to contesting even the most challenging seats.
Seat-Sharing Formula in the Maha Vikas Aghadi
MVA coalition discussions on seat-sharing are ongoing, with a tentative formula proposing that each party—Congress, NCP, and Uddhav Sena—will contest 90 seats. The final decision is expected following the coalition meeting scheduled for later today.
Election Timeline
Maharashtra’s single-phase Assembly election is set for November 20, with results slated for announcement on November 23.