Maharashtra election: 4,140 candidates in fray; 2,938 withdraw nominations

A total of 4,140 candidates are in the fray for the Maharashtra Assembly elections slated for 20 November. According to the office of the state chief electoral officer, on the last date of withdrawal of nominations on Monday, of the total valid 7,078 candidates, 2,938 nominees opted to be out of the race and withdrew their nominations.

In Latur district, as many as 87 candidates withdrew their nomination in six Assembly constituencies on Monday, leaving 106 candidates in the poll fray, an official said.

In Nilanga, former chief minister Dr Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar's son and Congress' state secretary Ashok Patil Nilangekar, who had decided to contest as independent, withdrew his nomination, while BJP rebel Vishwajeet Gaikwad exited the contest in Udgir, bringing relief to Mahayuti candidate NCP's Sanjay Bansode.

Eleven out of the 34 candidates have stepped back in Latur city, 19 in Latur Rural, 22 in Ahmedpur, nine each in Udgir (reserved) and Nilanga and 17 in Ausa, the official said.

In Ausa, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Santosh Somwanshi, who joined the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and filed his nomination, withdrew from the fray.

Somwanshi was confronted by angry VBA workers and police had to intervene to ensure his safety.

Somwanshi had initially filed his nomination papers as Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate, which was rejected, while the one submitted on behalf of the VBA was accepted.

Incidentally, Somwanshi, who was appointed as the Shiv Sena (UBT) Latur district chief on Sunday.

Monday was the last day to withdraw nomination for the 20 November elections. Votes will be counted on 23 November.

District collector and election officer Varsha Thakur-Ghuge said there are 2,143 polling stations in all six constituencies, including 40 new ones.

The district has registered 76,000 new voters. Of the 20,45,591 voters, 10,65,915 are male, and 9,76,767 are female, she said.

Of the 36 constituencies in Mumbai, 10 constituencies from Mumbai City will have a triangular fight as there are 105 candidates in the fray.

In Dharavi constituency, Congress nominee Jyoti Gaikwad is pitted against Manohar Kedari Raibage - Bahujan Samaj Party and Rajesh Shivdas Khandare – Shiv Sena and in Sion Koliwada seat, Congress nominee Ganesh Kumar Yadav, BJP nominee Captain R. Tamil Selvan and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena nominee Sanjay Prabhakar Bhogle are in the fray.

In Wadala constituency, BJP candidate Kalidas Kolamkar will take on Shiv Sena UBT nominee Sharadchandra Jadhav and MNS nominee Snehal Jadhav.

In Mahim constituency, after Shiv Sena legislator and nominee Sada Sarvankar refused to withdraw his nomination despite BJP’s repeated calls, will contest against MNS nominee Amit Thackeray and Shiv Sena UBT candidate Mahesh Sawant.

In a high profile Worli seat, Shiv Sena-UBT nominee and former minister Aaditya Thackeray is locked in a contest against Shiv Sena nominee and former Union minister Milind Deora and MNS nominee Sandeep Deshpande. In Shivadi constituency, Shiv Sena UBT nominee Ajay Chaudhary and MNS nominee Bala Nandgaonkar are the main contestants.

In Byculla constituency, Shiv Sena nominee Yamini Jadhav, who lost the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai South constituency, is pitted against Shiv Sena UBT nominee Manoj Jamsutkar and AIMIM nominee Faiyaz Ahmed Rafeeq Ahmed Khan.

In Malabar Hill constituency, the BJP minister and party nominee Mangal Prabhat Lodha will take on Shiv Sena UBT nominee Bherural Chaudhary while in Mumbadevi seat the Congress nominee Amit Patel will have a direct fight against Shiv Sena nominee Shaina NC.

In Colaba seat, the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker and BJP nominee Rahul Narvekar is pitted against Congress nominee Hira Devasi and Bahujan Samaj Party nominee Arjun Ganpat Rukhe.