The anticipation surrounding the Mahayuti candidate for the Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency persists as no official announcement has been made yet. The inauguration of the publicity office for Mahayuti's campaign, led by the district guardian minister a few days ago, has only heightened the curiosity among the people to know the candidate's identity.
Internal sources revealed that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has instructed district guardian minister Sandipan Bhumare to initiate election preparations, but no official declaration has been issued. On Friday, five candidates submitted their nomination forms, with Sandipan Bhumare, Vilas Bhumre, and Vinod Patil purchasing the forms.
While disputes over candidature among the allied parties of Mahayuti in Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, and Nasik have been resolved, the issue of candidature for Aurangabad remains unresolved. Union Minister of State for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Karad has also shown interest in contesting the Lok Sabha election from this constituency. However, the inauguration of Mahayuti's publicity office by Sandipan Bhumare suggests that he may be the official candidate, although this is purely speculative.
Certain senior BJP leaders have advocated for Vinod Patil's candidature in Aurangabad. Patil acquired the nomination form on Friday, raising questions about whether he will be the official Mahayuti candidate.
