Maharashtra polls: Shiv Sena (Shinde) releases 1st list of 45 candidates

Mumbai, Oct 23 (PTI) The Shiv Sena has released its first list of 45 candidates for the Maharashtra assembly polls, nominating Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from Kopri-Panchpakhadi in Thane city and more than half a dozen cabinet members from their respective seats.

As per the list released late Tuesday night, the ruling party has re-nominated almost all the MLAs who backed Shinde when he led a revolt against the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022.

With this, the Shiv Sena has become the second major political party to release its list of candidates for the state assembly polls. Its ally BJP released a list of 99 candidates on Sunday.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

Shinde will seek re-election from Kopri-Panchpakhadi seat in Thane city adjoining Mumbai.

The party has fielded ministers Gulabrao Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, Abdul Sattar and Shambhuraj Desai from Jalgaon Rural, Sawantwadi, Sillod and Patan, respectively.

Another cabinet member, Dada Bhuse, will contest from the Malegaon Outer assembly constituency in Nashik district.

Ministers Uday Samant and Tanaji Sawant have been fielded from Ratnagiri and Paranda, respectively.

Another prominent leader Sada Sarvankar will fight the polls from Mahim in Mumbai.

The party has also fielded kin of several leaders.

From Rajapur, it has given ticket to Kiran Samant, brother of minister Uday Samant.

Suhas Babar, son of late legislator Anil Babar, will contest from Khanapur in Sangli district.

Manisha Waikar, wife of Shiv Sena Lok Sabha member from Mumbai North-West Ravindra Waikar, has been fielded from Jogeshwari (East), while Abhijit Adsul, son of Sena leader and former Union minister Anand Adsul, will contest from Daryapur in Amravati district.

Vilas Bhumre, son of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Lok Sabha member Sandipan Bhumre, will contest from Paithan.

The ruling Mahayuti, which consists of the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP, is yet to announce its seat-sharing deal for polls to the 288-member assembly. PTI