NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Tuesday released a list of 45 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Raj Thackeray‘s son Amit is set to make electoral debut from Mahim.
The party has nominated Sandeep Deshpande to contest from Worli in south-central Mumbai, where he is expected to face off against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.
Additionally, Pramod Patil, the sole MNS MLA in the outgoing assembly, has been renominated for the Kalyan rural seat in the neighboring Thane district.
Elections in Maharashtra will be held in single phase on November 20. The counting of votes will be on November 23.
In the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP received 26.1% of the votes, followed by Congress with 16.1%, the NCP with 16.9%, and the Shiv Sena with 16.6%. The BJP and the Shiv Sena, then allied, formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), achieving a majority. However, the coalition quickly disintegrated over disputes regarding government formation, leading to a political crisis in the state.
After no party was able to form a government, Maharashtra was placed under President’s rule. Devendra Fadnavis was briefly sworn in as chief minister, with Ajit Pawar serving as deputy chief minister. However, both resigned just days later, ahead of a scheduled floor test.
By November 28, 2019, a new coalition formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, comprising the Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, with Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister.
However, in June 2022, the state’s political landscape shifted again when Uddhav Thackeray resigned following a rebellion within the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, who subsequently allied with the BJP. Eknath Shinde became chief minister, while Devendra Fadnavis returned as deputy chief minister.