Maharashtra Elections: BJP's Third List Cuts Tickets Of Six Incumbent MLAs, Repeats Four; Tickets To Two 2019 Losers

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (28 October) released its third list of candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections, set for 20 November with 25 names including four women.

The BJP also declared Dr Santuk Marotrao Hambarde as the candidate for the by-poll on Nanded Lok Sabha constituency, which was vacated by the demise of Congress MP Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan.

The BJP previously announced 22 candidates on 26 October, following an initial list of 99 names, which included Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

With this recent addition, the BJP has now named 147 candidates, demonstrating a focused approach toward securing key constituencies across Maharashtra.

The BJP has fielded incumbent members of the legislative assembly (MLA) in Murtijapur, Versova, Ghatkopar East and Malshiras, while cutting tickets of sitting MLAs in Karanja, Arvi, Nagpur Central, Arni, Umarkhed and Borivali.

Two of the BJP candidates, who lost in the 2019 assembly elections have been fielded again. They are Charansing Babulaiji Thakur in Katol and Dr Milind Pandurang Mane in Nagpur North (SC).

In a notable nomination, Sumit Wankhede, a long-time personal assistant to Fadnavis, will run in the Arvi constituency. The BJP similarly awarded a ticket in 2019 to Fadnavis’s former PA, Abhimanyu Pawar, who won from Ausa.

With this third release, the BJP moves closer to completing its candidate lineup, while Maha Vikas Aghadi is also intensifying its preparations for what is expected to be a closely contested election.