A total of 334 candidates will contest upcoming assembly elections in 36 seats of Mumbai. And 3239 candidates are in the fray for the October 21 assembly elections in Maharashtra for the 288 seats up for grabs where the BJP-led NDA alliance and the Congress-NCP combine are locked in keen contests marked by defections, rebellions and one-upmanships.
According to Indian Express, highest number of candidates are in Chandivali where 15 candidates are in the fray and the least number of candidates are in Mahim, Sewri, Borivali and Bandra West where only four candidates are in the fray. Mumbai will see interesting battles as rebel contestants who seem to have defied their party dictate and will be contesting elections against official nominees of their party.
In Bandra East Shiv Sena’s sitting MLA from Bandra East Trupti Desai will be fighting against the Sena’s official candidate, Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar. Desai was miffed after she was denied ticket. Even Four-time Shiv Sena coporator, Rajul Patel, has not withdrawn her nomination from Versova.
The Maharashtra Election Commission had received 5543 applications for all the 288 segments. Among prominent candidates in the poll arena is Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who led the BJP campaign in the state, who is squaring off from his home turf Nagpur South-West against Ashish Deshmukh of the Congress. State BJP president Chandrakant Patil is contesting his maiden assembly poll from Kothrud in Pune.
BJP leaders and Cabinet ministers Pankaja Munde and Sudhir Mungantiwar are also in the fray from Parli and Ballarpur seats, respectively. Another major battle is playing out in Worli assembly segment in Mumbai, where Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray is making his debut in electoral politics.
Aaditya has become the first Thackeray in the clan to contest elections. From the Opposition camp, former chief ministers of Congress Ashok Chavan (Bhokar, Nanded district) and Prithviraj Chavan (Karad South, Satara district) are in the fray. Senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is seeking another term from his home turf Baramati in Pune district.
