Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024| State heads for multi-cornered contest with rebels from both sides in fray

Mumbai: As Maharashtra heads for a multi-cornered contest, the diametrically-opposite formations - ruling Maha Yuti (NDA) and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (INDIA) - will continue to get sleepless nights because of the presence of 30 to 40-odd strong rebels and good candidates from smaller parties in fray.

The independent candidates  might  make-or-break things for the two alliances in the post-poll scenario in the now politically-unstable state. 

The last date for withdrawal for the November 20 polls ended on Monday amid hectic phone-calls by the top leadership of the two alliances to reach out to the rebels and persuade them to withdraw.

While many of them withdrew from the race, some did not make the things complex - mainly arising out of cross nomination forms within the allies and strong independent candidates. 

Around 45 rebel candidates from both sides have withdrawn their nominations - which include 10 each from the BJP and Congress, which leads the two coalitions. 

The biggest embarrassment came to the Congress when it became candidate-less in Kolhapur North after Madhurima Raje Chhatrapati withdrew because of rebel Rajesh Latkar, whom the grand old party has decided to support now. 

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena withdrew  the nomination of its candidate Avinash Rane from Mumbai's Anushakti Nagar Assembly seat, where Nawab Malik's daughter Sana Malik is also contesting from Ajit Pawar's NCP.

However, Ajit Pawar’s party did not reciprocate in Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar where Nawab Malik is contesting as an official candidate despite objections by Shiv Sena and BJP. 

As far as BJP was concerned, former MP Gopal Shetty, who has filed papers from Borivli in Mumbai withdrew nominations following intervention by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and national general secretary Vinod Tawde. However, the leadership could not persuade Geeta Jain to withdraw from Mira-Bhayander in Thane. 

Veteran OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s nephew Sameer Bhujbal is contesting as an Independent from Nandgaon in Nashik.

During the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray called on NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, and asserted that there would not be any friendly fights and action would be taken against rebels.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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