Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Who Will Make The Cut In BJP’s Candidate List?

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to drop around 30 per cent of its 103 sitting Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Maharashtra based on their performance and local caste dynamics, as reported by Hindustan Times (HT).

This information comes from sources familiar with the situation. The party is expected to announce its first candidate list for the upcoming assembly elections on Friday, featuring over 60 of the 110 names approved by its Central Election Committee (CEC).

The ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, is also likely to announce its seat-sharing plan soon after discussions among key state leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this week. A party leader has stated that the BJP intends to contest the maximum number of seats in the 288-member assembly.

After the Maharashtra unit of the BJP finalised candidates for 160 constituencies, the CEC, led by PM Modi, approved 110 of these names. The first candidate list will primarily feature senior leaders and state ministers, as there are no significant challengers in their constituencies, reducing the risk of internal conflicts. The list may also include names for constituencies where the party does not currently have a sitting MLA.

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the state BJP chief, confirmed in HT that the first candidate list will be announced soon. Senior leader Sudhir Mungantiwar mentioned, "I have no idea if 30 per cent of our MLAs are being dropped, but the list will be announced soon. The seat-sharing of the Mahayuti has been finalised without any disputes, and we have decided to work together to ensure the victory of the alliance."

On Thursday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met with Shah and other BJP leaders in Chandigarh to discuss the Mahayuti's seat-sharing formula. The three main parties in the alliance-BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-plan to release their lists separately and in phases.

According to a BJP leader, the seat-sharing arrangement may not be announced immediately to avoid stirring reactions within the alliance. The BJP is expected to contest 155-160 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena may receive 85-90 seats. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP might secure around 45 seats. The BJP is expected to claim most seats in Vidarbha, while the Mumbai constituencies may see an equal division between the BJP and Shiv Sena.

On October 16, Bawankule remarked that CM Shinde should be prepared to make "sacrifices" in terms of seat-sharing, as the BJP has previously done to maintain the alliance.

Maharashtra is set to hold elections on November 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23.