Mumbai:

The Congress on Saturday released its second list of 23 candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections, fielding a “strong” contender against state Bharatiya Janata Party President Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

Bawankule, who is recontesting Kamthi seat in Nagpur district – which he had bagged in 2004, 2009 and 2014 till he was dropped in 2019, will lock horns with Suresh Y. Bhoyar, a former President of the Nagpur Zila Panchayat.

Similarly, in Savner in Nagpur district, the Congress has fielded Anuja S. Kedar, the wife of former minister and five-term MLA Sunil C. Kedar, who was convicted in a graft case and disqualified. The daughter of the legendary cricket administrator and former Maharashtra Speaker SK Wankhede, whose name adorns the BCCI stadium in Mumbai, Kedar had filed her nomination papers as an Independent, but will now contest on a Congress ticket.

The Congress’ second list comes two days after the first list with 48 candidates was issued as the party was purportedly in a tug-of-war with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Shiv Sena-UBT over certain seats in the Vidarbha region.

The others figuring in Saturday’s list also include Rajesh Manavatkar (Bhusawal), Swati Wakekar (Jamod), Mahesh Gange (Akot), Shekhar Shende (Wardha), Girish Pandav (Nagpur South), Pooja Thavker (Bhandara), Dalip Banson (Arjuni-Morgaon), Rajkumar Puram (Amgaon), Vasant Purke (Ralegaon), Anil Balasaheb Mangulkar (Yavatmal), Jitendra Moghe (Arni), Sahebrao Kamble (Umarkhed), Kailas Gorantyal (Jalna), and Madhukar Deshmukh (Aurangabad East).

Vijay Patil will contest from Vasai, Kalu Bhadeliya from Kandivali East, Yashwant Singh from Charkop, Ganesh Kumar Yadav from Sion-Koliwada, Hemant Ogle from Srirampur, Abhay K. Salunkhe from Nilanga, and Ganpatrao Patil for Shiro).

Maharashtra Congress Legislative Party Leader Vijay alias Balasaheb Thorat is likely to call on NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and SS-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray this afternoon to finalise the remaining seat-sharing ratio, including the number of seats that will be allocated to smaller allies, as the last date for filing nominations (October 29) approaches.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ranchi:

Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been appointed as Jharkhand’s brand ambassador for the upcoming elections.

Dhoni has given the Election Commission consent to use his photo for the assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said.

“Mahendra Singh Dhoni has given his consent to the Election Commission to use his photo. We are in touch with him for other details. Mahendra Singh Dhoni will work for the mobilization of voters…” said Kumar addressing a press conference held in Jharkhand’s Ranchi on Friday.

Dhoni will work to increase awareness among voters under the SWEEP (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation) program. The poll body is hoping to capitalise on Dhoni’s appeal and popularity to increase enthusiasm, especially among voters to vote in greater numbers.

A total of forty-three constituencies will go to polls in the first phase on November 13.

The filing of nominations was completed on Friday. Among those who filed their nominations include former Chief Minister Champai Soren who filed his nomination as BJP candidate from Saraikela. He said that the Congress and its alliance have no existence in Jharkhand and that they don’t stand anywhere in the elections.

All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) party president and former deputy Chief Minister of Jharkhand Sudesh Mahato filed his nomination from the Silli assembly constituency on Friday.

JMM released its first list of 35 candidates on October 23 for the polls.

On October 19, BJP announced its first list of 66 candidates for Jharkhand assembly elections as the ruling JMM-led alliance finalised the contours of their seat-sharing agreement.

BJP will contest the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). BJP will contest 68 seats, AJSU 10 seats, JD-U two seats and LJP one seat.

Elections are being held on 81 seats of the Jharkhand assembly in two phases on November 13 and November 20, results will be declared on November 23.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)