The Congress party has nominated Ravindra Chavan, the son of the late Vasantrao Chavan, as its candidate for the Nanded Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming bypoll. This decision comes after the unfortunate passing of Congress MP Vasant Chavan, who represented the Nanded seat, in August this year.
Vasant Chavan, who won the Nanded Lok Sabha seat earlier this year despite his ill health, had defeated the sitting BJP MP Pratap Patil Chikhalikar by a significant margin. The by-election for the Nanded Lok Sabha seat, along with the Kedarnath assembly constituency, is scheduled to be held on November 20, coinciding with the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 and the second phase of the Jharkhand elections. The results of the bypolls will be announced on November 23, along with the Maharashtra assembly election results.
In addition to the nomination of Ravindra Chavan for the Nanded Lok Sabha seat, the Congress party has also announced the candidature of Jingjang M Marak for the bypoll to the Gambegre (ST) assembly seat in Meghalaya. The Election Commission had recently announced bypolls for the Wayanad and Nanded Lok Sabha seats, as well as 48 assembly constituencies.
Furthermore, the Election Commission of India has released the schedule for the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024, with voting to take place in a single phase on November 20. The counting of votes will be conducted three days later, and the results will be announced on November 23. The term of the Maharashtra Assembly is set to end on November 26, with the last date for submission of nomination forms being October 29, and the scrutiny scheduled for October 30. Candidates will have until November 11 to withdraw their nominations.
The upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections will see the ruling Mahayuti Alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, pitted against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes Shiv Sena, NCP, and the Congress. The political landscape in Maharashtra is sure to witness intense campaigning and competition as the state gears up for the crucial elections.