Close to nine crore voters are set to elect 288 legislators to the 14th Maharashtra State Assembly on Oct. 21. While there were more than 5,000 candidates in the fray, the number is now down to 3,239 after rejections.
Counting of votes will take place on Oct. 24.
Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (Nagpur South-West), Aaditya Thackeray (Worli), Ashok Chavan (Bhokar) and Prithviraj Chavan (Karad South), among others.
As many as 20 sitting MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party were dropped from the electoral list this time, including education minister and sitting MLA from Borivali Vinod Tawde, energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, senior leader Eknath Khadse and former housing minister Prakash Mehta.
Eknath Khadse, the five-time MLA from Muktainagar, was also not given a ticket. While he was all set to file his nomination as an independent candidate, the party decided to field his daughter Rohini instead. Later, Khadse said in a tweet that the blessings he has received from his supporters for all these years should now go to his daughter.
Also, Vikramgad MLA Vishnu Savra, Medha Kulkarni of Kothrud and Sangeeta Thombre from Kaij, among others, have not been given a ticket to contest.
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