Maharashtra Polls: BJP, Congress Drop Maximum MLAs; Rebels Challenge Party Nominees With Independent Contests

While the BJP has decided to not grant tickets to eight MLAs, the Congress has replaced five of its leaders. Some of them have filed nominations as Independent candidates for the Maharashtra polls.

The BJP and Congress are facing fresh challenges in Maharashtra after MLAs filed nominations as Independents after being denied tickets.

Source : PTI

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: As the nomination deadline for the Maharashtra Assembly elections ended, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress emerged among the major political parties that have dropped the maximum number of sitting MLAs. While the BJP has decided to not grant tickets to eight MLAs, the Congress has replaced five. However, their decision posed fresh challenges for them after as the parties are now facing rebellion. The leaders who were denied tickets have defied their leaderships and filed nominations for the polls as Independents. 

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) have decided to not grant tickets to two incumbent MLAs each. However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has repeated almost all its MLAs who had backed Shinde during the rebellion barring two.

The exact number of candidates fielded by each party of the ruling Mahayuti and opposition's MVA alliance cannot be ascertained as of now since there are some that have given nomination forms to two candidates in certain seats.

In a suprising move, the BJP replaced the sitting MLA from Borivali in Mumbai, Sunil Rane, with Sanjay Upadhyay. Other incumbents who have been denied tickets include Sandeep Dhurve from Arni and Namdev Sasane from Umarkhed. Dhruve will be succeeded by Raju Todsam, while Sasane will be succeeded by Kisan Wankhede.

Dada Kenche from Arvi and Vikas Kumbhare from Nagpur Central have also been replaced by the saffron party with Sumit Wankhede and Praveen Datke, respectively. Wankhede had earlier served as an assistant to Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis. Datke is also a sitting MLC of the BJP.

Ashwini Jagtap has been replaced by her brother-in-law Shankar Jagtap on the Chinchwad seat. The BJP has also fielded Sulabha Gaikwad, jailed MLA Ganpat Gaikwad's wife, from Kalyan East. Gaikwad had allegedly fired at a Shiv Sena rival inside a police station. Meanwhile, four-time MLA from Washim, Lakhan Malik, has been replaced by Shyam Khode.

Congress Replaces 5 MLAs In Maharashtra

The Congress party has also replaced five incumbent MLAs. This includes Lahu Kanade, who will be overtaken by Hemant Ogale from Shrirampur, Sahasram Korote, who will be replaced by former Zilla Parishad officer Rajkumar Puram in Amgaon. Notably, Shirish Chaudhary will not be seeking re-election; instead, his son Dhananjay will contest from Raver.

The grand old party has also dropped Hiraman Khoskar and Sulabha Khodke from Igatpuri and Amravati seats, respectively, due to anti-party activities. Both candidates have now secured nominations from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Sunil Deshmukh will represent Congress from the Amravati constituency and Lackybhau Jadhav from Igatpuri.

NCP And NCP-SP Replace 2 MLAs Each 

The NCP (SP) has replaced former Home Minister and Katol MLA Anil Deshmukh with his son Salil Deshmukh. In the Madha constituency, the Sharad Pawar-led party nominated Abhijeet Patil instead of re-nominating Babanrao Shinde.

NCP MLAs Manohar Chandrikapure from Arjuni Morgaon and Balasaheb Ajabe from Ashti have also been denied tickets. They have been replaced by former BJP minister Rajkumar Badole and ex-MLC Suresh Dhas, respectively.

Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena denied tickets to MLAs Shrinivas Vanga from Palghar and Lata Sonawane from Chopda. They have been replaced with former Lok Sabha member Rajendra Gavit and Chandrakant Sonawane, respectively. 

Rebels May Queer Pitch For MVA, Mahayuti Nominees

The rebels, who have gone ahead and filed nominations after being denied tickets, might pose a major challenge for the official candidates since their nominations might affect the poll arithmetic of the main contendors vying for power for both MVA and Mahayuti, who are locked in a close fight.

The clear picture on the number of rebels left in the fray will become clear only after November 4, which is the last date for withdrawal of candidatures.

The BJP, which has fielded the highest number of candidates among the major parties, is struggling to manage possible damage from rebels in Mumbai as well as in other parts of the state.

Among the BJP rebels, two-time MLA and former Lok Sabha member from Mumbai Gopal Shetty, has filed his nomination as an independent candidate against the party's official nominee, Sanjay Upadhyay, in Mumbai's Borivali assembly constituency. Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar and MLA Yogesh Sagar had tried to persuade him to reconsider his decision, but Shetty stood his ground and filed his nomination.

Another local BJP leader, Atul Shah, submitted his nominations from Mumbai's Mumbadevi seat, where the party's national spokesperson Shaina NC, is the official candidate of ally Shiv Sena.

Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena UBT had announced the Kishanchand Tanwani's candidature from the Aurangabad Central constituency in central Maharashtra. But he  withdrew his candidature and backed Shinde Sena's candidate Pradeep Jaiswal.

The BJP has fielded Devrao Bhongale from the Rajura constituency In Chandrapur district. After the decision, two former MLAs of the BJP -- Sanjay Dhote and Sudarshan Nimkar -- filed their nominations as Independents.

Voting for 288-member state assembly will be held on November 20. Votes will be counted on November 23.

(With inputs from PTI)