The Indian National Congress (INC) has thrown its hat into the ring for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, announcing its first list of 48 candidates on Thursday, October 24, 2024. The list is a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh faces, aiming to reclaim the state from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Leading the charge for the Congress are prominent figures like former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who has been fielded from Karad South, Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, contesting from Brahmapuri, and State unit chief Nana Patole, who will be vying for the Sakoli seat. The party has shown faith in its current representatives by retaining 25 sitting MLAs in this first list.
The Congress announcement comes a day after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a coalition of the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), declared their intention to contest 85 seats each. However, negotiations are ongoing to finalize the distribution of the remaining 33 seats among the alliance partners and smaller parties.
The Congress has fielded a number of high-profile candidates, including former Ministers Nitin Raut and Balasaheb Thorat, who will be contesting from Nagpur North and Sangamner, respectively. The party has also included Jyoti Eknath Gaikwad, the sister of Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, in the race for Dharavi.
Adding a layer of familial politics to the elections, Amit Deshmukh and Dheeraj Deshmukh, sons of late Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, have been fielded from Latur City and Latur Rural, respectively.
The Congress has also fielded candidates from diverse backgrounds, including Mohammad Aarif Naseem Khan in Chandivali, Aslam Sheikh in Malad West, Ranjit Kamble in Deoli, and Vikas Thakre in Nagpur West.
The election in Raver, Jalgaon district, will be a family affair, with Dhananjay Chaudhari, son of sitting MLA Shirish Chaudhari, contesting for the Congress. Muzafar Hussain is the Congress candidate for Mira Bhayander in Thane district.
A fierce contest awaits in Bhokar, where Congress’s Trupti Kondekar will face off against Srijaya Chavan, the daughter of Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan, who recently switched from the Congress to the BJP.
Meenal Khatgaonkar has been chosen by the Congress to contest from Naigaon, while Praful Gudadhe will take on senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South West Assembly seat.
The Congress has also extended an olive branch to former MLAs Gopaldas Agarwal and Sunil Deshmukh, who had earlier joined the BJP but recently returned to the Congress. The party has given them tickets to contest from Gondia and Amravati, respectively.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, 2024, with the results expected to be announced on November 23. With the Congress unveiling its first list of candidates, the political stage is set for a high-stakes battle for the state. The Congress will be aiming to leverage the support of its leaders, the strength of its candidates, and its commitment to the people of Maharashtra to secure a victory in these crucial elections.