Maharashtra polls: BJP discusses candidates at Central Election Committee meet, list likely to be announced within a week

New Delhi [India], October 17 (ANI): Ahead of Maharashtra assembly polls, Bharatiya Janata Party held a meeting of its Central Election Committee in the national capital and discussed the party’s candidates. The list of candidates is likely to be released within a week, the BJP sources said.

The discussion were held on over 100 seats and the party will decide the names of its remaining candidates for 288-member Maharashtra assembly polls after seat sharing talks with its Mahayuti alliance partners, comprising Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the sources said.

BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the party’s national president JP Nadda chaired the meeting at the party headquarters under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The meeting on Wednesday night was also attended by Home Minister Amit Shah and senior party leaders including Ashwini Vaishnav, Bhupendra Yadav, Piyush Goyal and Organization General Secretary B L Santosh.

Maharashtra BJP leaders including Deputy CM Fadnavis, Raosaheb Danve, Vinod Tawde, Ashish Shelar, were also present in the meeting which lasted for more than 2 hours.

“Attending BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) Meeting at Party Headquarters in New Delhi, chaired by BJP National President Hon JP Nadda Ji under leadership of Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji. Hon Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amitbhai Shah, senior leaders are present,” Fadnavis said in a post on X.

According to sources, Home Minister Shah and BJP President Nadda may hold talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar. The candidates’ names are likely to be announced within a week.

Earlier, Election Commission of India had announced the schedule for the assembly elections for Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly will be held in a single phase on November 20, with votes to be counted on November 23.

The key contenders in the Maharashtra elections are the ruling Mahayuti Alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress.

Sources further claimed that Mahayuti alliance has almost reached a consensus on 90 per cent of the seats and the BJP is likely to contest on more than 150 seats, Shiv Sena on 80 to 85 seats and NCP on 40 to 45 seats. NCP is likely to field candidates on Muslim majority seats.

Another BJP sources also claimed that the Mahayuti alliance have a “clear edge” in the upcoming assembly elections.

BJP and Mahayuti have a clear edge. The opposition’s narrative of changing the Constitution during Lok Sabha polls is now over, Maratha reservation also does not have much effect now. BJP has a big vote bank in OBC community, sources said.

Highlighting the work done by the alliance to benefit women and farmers, another source added, “Women will also get the benefit of four installments of Ladli Behna reaching their accounts. The central government has resolved four major problems of the farmers of Maharashtra. Removed the ban on onion export, benefited cotton farmers and increased the MSP of Rabi crops. Made four toll plazas free. With all these steps, BJP and Mahayuti are confident that the alliance will be successful in forming the government again in Maharashtra.”

Earlier, Congress’ Maharasthra Election Screening Committee also held a meeting at Delhi’s Himachal Bhavan. The party’s state in-charge Ramesh Chennithalji, President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat, Leader of Opposition Vijay Waadettiwar and Satej Patil attended the meeting.

Additionally, Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi also announced their third list of candidates for the state’s assembly polls. VBA announced 30 more candidates in their third list.