Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) released its first list of 20 candidates for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections on Wednesday. This included four candidates of Marathwada from Jalna, Beed, Nanded, and Latur constituencies, but the suspense continues over the declaration of a candidate from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar constituency. Besides, all eyes are also set on where the BJP will be fielding its candidates from the remaining Hingoli, Dharashiv, and Parbhani constituencies (as per the seat sharing).
The list mentions the name of union Minister of State for Railway Raosaheb Danve (Jalna), former MLA Pankaja Munde (instead of repeating her sister MP Preetam Munde from Beed), MP Prataprao Chikhalikar (Nanded) and MP Sudhakar Shrungare (Latur). In 2019 LS polls, BJP has won from Jalna, Nanded, Beed and Latur constituencies. Of which, Pankaja Munde will be contesting the LS poll for the first time.
It may be noted that Shiv Sena (Shinde-group) candidate Hemant Patil is the MP of Hingoli. Hence the seat would be retained by it. Meanwhile, the negotiations over Parbhani and Dharashiv constituencies are underway. It is being said that a tug-of-war between alliance parties of MahaYuti is underway over nominating the candidate from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. It would not have ended, therefore, the name of the candidate has not been declared by BJP in the today’s list. It is hoped that BJP will settle the seat-sharing issue and release the second list of candidates, soon.
It is learned that the BJP is insisting on fielding its candidate from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, and Dharashiv, but NCP’s Ajit Pawar group is asking to spare one seat from these constituencies. In addition, Shiv Sena (Shinde group) is also demanding to let them contest from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv constituencies.
It is hinted that the local constituency would be spared either to BJP or to Shiv Sena (Shinde-group), but the local leaders of both these parties had requested the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Ministers not to nominate an outside candidate from here. Meanwhile, a jumbo delegation has left for Delhi on Wednesday, to press the demand of sparing the local seat to BJP.
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The list of 20 candidates from Maharashtra includes the nomination of five female candidates. They have been nominated from Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Dindori, and Pankaja Munde.