The Congress released the names of 48 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections on Thursday night. The list comes a day after the Maha Vikas Aghadi announced that they will contest 85 seats each in the November 20 polls.
The party has fielded state unit chief Nana Patole from Sakoli while Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar is slated to contest from Bramhmapuri. Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has been fielded from Karad South, Vijay Balasaheb Thorat from Sangamner and Amit Deshmukh from Latur City. Congress retained a total of 25 sitting MLAs in the first list.
The tri-party alliance had announced its seat sharing formula for 255 constituencies on Wednesday — allocating 85 to each party. The 23 remaining seats in the state Assembly will be announced as per their party candidate lists. Some of these seats will also be allocated to the Samajwadi Party, PWP, and the CPI.
“The problem of seat sharing has been resolved...We are going to contest the elections based on merit...In Maharashtra, today, after seat sharing, we are confident that we will cross 200 (seats)...This 'choryuti' (Mahayuti) has ruined the state. We will dethrone them...The public has also made up their minds to dethrone them.…” Wadettiwar told ANI on Thursday.
“We will include the Samajwadi Party, PWP, CPI(M), CPI and AAP. Discussions are still on for the remaining seats. We have amicably arrived at a consensus on 270 seats. The MVA stands united to defeat the Mahayuti government,” added Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also released its first list of candidates on Wednesday — naming contenders for 65 seats. The party has opted to field incumbent Aaditya Thackeray from the Worli constituency.
Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will be held in a single phase on November 20. The votes will be counted on November 23.
(With inputs from agencies)
