Maharashtra Elections: MNS chief Raj Thackeray announces candidates for two Assembly seats

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Monday announced the names of candidates for two assembly seats in the upcoming state elections.

Bala Nandgaonkar will contest from Mumbai’s Shivadi Assembly constituency while Dilip Dhotre will contest from Pandharpur.

On August 3, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and discussed people’s issues and several housing projects.

The Chief Minister’s Office said, “Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde along with the MNS delegation to discuss various housing issues like redevelopment of BDD chawl, redevelopment of police housing colony and other housing projects. Some senior officials of the Maharashtra government also attended the meeting.”

Earlier on July 25, Raj Thackeray had announced his intention to contest 200-250 seats independently in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

In the 2019 assembly elections, the MNS won only one seat. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the MNS supported the BJP. The 2024 assembly elections have given a boost to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) winning seven seats, the Congress 13 and the NCP-SP one, taking the alliance’s total to 17. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are scheduled to be held later this year. However, the Election Commission of India is yet to announce the dates.