MUMBAI: As many as 983 candidates withdrew from the poll fray on the last day of the withdrawal of candidature for the Maharashtra assembly elections. A total of 8,272 candidates are in the contest for the 288-member Assembly elections due November 20. The Election Commission of India has disqualified 1,654 candidate’s applications.
The ruling MahaYuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi have tried to placate rebels, succeeding to some extent. However, rebels have not yielded much ground, making it a multi-polar contest in most assembly constituencies.
The Congress claims it has successfully thwarted rebellion. State party in-charge Ramesh Chennithala has been in Mumbai for five days to pacify the rebels. “Ramesh ji did not go back to his home state Kerala. He has camped in Mumbai and sat in the war room along with state party leaders, including state unit chief Nana Patole, legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat and others. It was a tough job persuading the rebels, but we successfully did the job,” said a senior party leader.
The ruling Mahayuti also succeeded in placating some rebels like former Lok Sabha MP Gopal Shetty from Borivali, Nana Kate from Chinchwada, Avinash Rane from Anushakti Nagar, Dhanraj Mahale (Dindori), and Dilip Gaikwad (Udagir). In Sangola, there will be a friendly contest between Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Abba Salunkhe and Peasants and Workers Party candidate Babasaheb Deshmukh.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP fielded Sanbhaji Zhende from the Purandhar constituency where CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena candidate Vijay Shivtare will contest against Zhende, even though they are part of the MahaYuti alliance.
Transfer of Maha DGP
The EC directed Maharashtra government to transfer DGP Rashmi Shukla with immediate effect following complaints from parties. It asked the government to hand over Shukla’s charge to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre.