Maha polls: 7,995 candidates file 10,905 nomination papers for 288 Assembly seats

Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has received 10,905 forms filled by 7,995 candidates vying for the 288 Maharashtra Assembly seats on the last date (October 29) of filing nominations, officials said here on Wednesday.

This comes to an average of around 38 forms per constituency or some 28 candidates in the fray for each seat for the November 20 elections.

In a statement late Tuesday, the CEO said that the forms shall be scrutinized on Wednesday and November 4 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations/candidature.

The nominations include the candidates of the ruling MahaYuti alliance of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-Nationalist Congress Party (SP). Plus, there are other parties like Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), besides the smaller allies of the ruling and opposition blocs.

Among the candidates are those with the formal endorsement of their respective parties, rebels, disgruntled candidates of multiple parties, family members or blood relatives politically baying for each other’s blood, some engaged in ‘friendly contests’, vote-cutters, smaller parties’ nominees, a horde of independents, candidates claiming to be part of different pressure groups, and frivolous entrants.

From Wednesday, the political parties shall be engaged in hectic negotiations to bring down the number of rebels, potential vote-splitters or suspected Trojan horses from their respective sides.

Congress General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala said on Wednesday that the MVA will ensure that there are no so-called ‘friendly fights’ among candidates of the opposition bloc, and would call upon all to withdraw the unofficial candidates from the fray to avoid vote-splitting.

By November 4, the exact picture of the number of contenders in the fray shall be clear for all sides along with the formidable candidates and against whom they are pitted, to chalk out suitable polling strategies.

After the polling on November 20, the counting of votes shall be done on November 23, and both the MahaYuti-MVA are upbeat about sweeping the polls despite many challenges clouding their ambitions to capture Mantralaya.