Congress releases first list for Maharashtra Assembly election; Ashok Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat among 51 candidates

Mumbai: The Congress Central Election Committee (CCEC) on Sunday released the first list of candidates naming 51 people who will contest the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections to be held on October 21.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Congress state president Balasaheb Thorat, former cabinet minister Naseem Khan, and leader of the opposition in the Assembly Namdevrao Wadettiwar were among the prominent people that have been named in the first list released by the Congress.

The Congress Central Election Committee announces the first list of candidates for the ensuing elections to the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/LUruU7UNWB — Congress (@INCIndia) September 29, 2019

Chavan will be contesting from Bhokar assembly seat, while Thorat has been fielded on Sangamner seat. Former Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's daughter Praniti Shinde will contest from Solapur Central. Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh's son Amit Deshmukh will fight election from Latur City.

Further, Nitin Raut will contest from Nagpur North and son of late Congress leader Patangrao Kadam, Vishwajeet Patangrao Kadam will contest the Assembly election from Palus-Kadegaon.

There are a total of 288 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and the Congress is contesting on 125 seats in coalition with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) which will also contest on the same number of seats. The remaining 38 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly have been left for other coalition parties to contest.

The last date of filing nomination is October 4 while the election will be conducted on October 21. The counting of votes will take place on October 24 and the result will be announced on the same day.

In 2014 Assembly polls, both the parties had contested separately. The Congress had managed to bag 42 of 287 seats it contested whereas NCP could win just 41 of 278 seats it contested.