On Saturday, the Congress party released its third list of candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, featuring 16 names, including prominent leaders Sachin Sawant and Manikrao Thakare. The announcement followed a Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Candidate Line-up for Key Constituencies
The third list includes candidates for several strategic constituencies:
– Rana Dalipkumar Sanada- Khamgaon (Constituency No. 26)
– Hemant Nanda Chimote- Melghat – ST (Constituency No. 41)
– Manohar Tulshiram Poreti- Gadchiroli – ST (Constituency No. 68)
– Manikrao Thakare- Digras (Constituency No. 79)
– Sachin Sawant- Andheri West (Constituency No. 165)
– Asif Zakaria – Vandre West (Constituency No. 177)
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With this announcement, Congress has now fielded candidates for 87 constituencies in Maharashtra. The first list featured 48 candidates, while the second and third lists included 23 and 16 candidates, respectively.
High-Profile Names and Strategic Moves
The first list features senior Congress leaders Prithviraj Chavan and Nana Patole, marking a strong opening by the party. Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan will contest from Karad South, while former minister Nitin Raut has been fielded once again in Nagpur North.
Congress has made moves to secure key constituencies, with notable inclusions in today’s list aimed at bolstering party presence in both urban and rural areas across Maharashtra.
Congress Faces Internal Scrutiny
The candidate selection process has reportedly drawn some internal criticism. Rahul Gandhi, a key figure in the party, is said to have expressed concerns over “favouritism” during the candidate screening process.
Maharashtra Polls: Context and Coalition Dynamics
The Maharashtra Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on November 20, with results scheduled for November 23. Congress, which won 13 out of 17 seats allotted to it in Maharashtra during the last Lok Sabha election, aims to maintain its momentum in the upcoming state polls.
The MahaYuti alliance’s partners are also progressing with their lists: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have each issued two lists, while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has released one.
Congress has completed a significant part of its candidate announcements, setting the stage for an intense electoral battle as Maharashtra approaches the November polls.
