Shiv Sena Announces First List of 45 Candidates for Upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections

The Shiv Sena has announced its initial list of 45 candidates for the Maharashtra assembly elections scheduled for 20 November. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is set to contest from Kopri-Panchpakhadi in Thane city. The party has also nominated over half a dozen Cabinet members from their current constituencies, reaffirming support for those who backed Shinde during his revolt against former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022.

Shinde will once again stand for election in Kopri-Panchpakhadi, located in Thane city. The party has selected ministers Gulabrao Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, Abdul Sattar, and Shamburaj Desai to contest from Jalgaon Rural, Sawantwadi, Sillod, and Patan, respectively. Additionally, Dada Bhuse will represent the party from Malegaon Outer in Nashik district.

Shiv Sena's Candidate List

Ministers Uday Samant and Tanaji Sawant have been chosen to run from Ratnagiri and Paranda, respectively. Another significant figure, Sada Sarvankar, will compete from Mahim in Mumbai. The Shiv Sena has also included relatives of several MLAs in its candidate list.

Kiran Samant, brother of minister Uday Samant, will contest from Rajapur. Suhas Babar, son of the late legislator Anil Babar, is set to run from Khanapur in Sangli district. Manisha Waikar, wife of Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Waikar from Mumbai North-West, will contest from Jogeshwari East.

Family Connections in Politics

Abhijit Adsul, son of former Union minister Anand Adsul and a Sena leader, will stand for election in Daryapur within Amravati district. Vilas Bhumre, son of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Aurangabad Lok Sabha MP Sandipan Bhumre, is slated to contest from Paithan. These selections highlight the party's strategy of involving family members of established politicians.

The Shiv Sena is the second major political entity to release its candidate list for the upcoming elections. Its ally BJP had previously announced a list of 99 candidates on the preceding Sunday. However, the ruling coalition Mahayuti—comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP—has yet to finalise its seat-sharing arrangement for the 288-member assembly elections.

This strategic move by Shiv Sena underscores its commitment to retaining power by fielding experienced leaders and leveraging familial ties within the political landscape. The forthcoming elections are expected to be highly competitive as parties vie for dominance in Maharashtra's political arena.