Maharashtra Polls: BJP Releases First List of 99 Candidates; Fadnavis To Contest From Nagpur South West

Former CM Ashok Chawan's daughter Sreejaya will contest from Bhokar and State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule from Kamthi as per BJP first list.

Mumbai:The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its first list of 99 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Key leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, featured prominently in the BJP first list.

Fadnavis will contest from Nagpur South West assembly constituency, while Chandrasekhar Bawankule will contest from Kamthi. Other notable names in the first list include Minister Girish Mahajan who will contest from Jamner, Sudhir Mungantiwar from Ballarpur, Ashish Shelar from Bandra West and Mangal Prabhat Lodha from Malabar Hill. Rahul Narvekar will contest from Colaba and Chhatrapati Shivendraraje Bhosale from Satara.

The BJP first list also reflects the party's special focus on fielding members from the prominent political families in the state. Sreejaya Ashok Chavan, the daughter of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, will contest from Bhokar and Santosh Danve, the son of former Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, will fight from Bhokardan.

Opportunity for veterans: The BJP fielded veteran leader Krishna Khopde from Nagpur East, Vijay Rahangdale from Tirora, Vinod Aggarwal from Gondia, Sanjay Puram from Amgaon, Krishna Gajbe from Armoli. Bunty Bhangadia will contest from Chimur, Sanjeevreddy from Bodkurwar Vani, Ashok Udke from Ralegaon, Madan Yerwar from Yavatmal, Bhimrao Keram from Kinwat, Rajesh Pawar from Naigaon and Tushar Rathod from Mukhed.

The BJP has prioritised safe seats in the announcement of its first list. More names are expected in the subsequent lists that will be released based on the seat-sharing talks within the alliance in the coming days.

13 women get chance

Among the 99 candidates in the BJP first list, 13 women have got a chance to contest in the assembly polls. In addition to Srijaya Ashok Chavan, the BJP has also given an opportunity to sitting MLA Vijay Mhatre in Belapur while Manisha Ashok Chaudhary is fielded from Dahisar assembly constituency.