National desk
1 November
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
In Maharashtra, 7994 candidates across 288 assembly constituencies have been deemed eligible after the nomination scrutiny for the upcoming state elections. The state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) confirmed that out of all the nomination papers submitted, 921 were rejected due to invalid documentation. The nomination process began on October 22 and concluded on October 29, followed by a scrutiny of the documents on October 30. Candidates still have until November 4 to withdraw their nominations, so the final candidate lineup will be known afterward.
The election for the 288-seat Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is scheduled for November 20, with results set to be declared on November 23. The main electoral battle is expected between the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a coalition of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP). Several smaller parties and independent candidates have also entered the race, adding to the competition.
With multiple alliances and independent contestants, the Maharashtra Assembly elections are expected to be a keenly watched event as the state’s political dynamics unfold.