Why BJP decided against drastic changes in Maharashtra, retained 80 MLAs in first list

A BJP insider said the enactment did not privation to stone its ain vessel and get bogged down with fire-fighting, fixed that the Opposition is stronger successful Maharashtra compared to a authorities specified arsenic Gujarat. “We don’t privation to beforehand rebels, Independents,” said a authorities Cabinet curate from the BJP.

“The sole criteria for giving summons is winnability,” authorities BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said aft the database was released. “The enactment takes the determination collectively. There is simply a mechanics which is strictly implemented.”

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP contested 164 seats and won 105 seats portion the undivided Sena contested 128 seats and bagged 56. This time, the enactment is aiming to contention 150-155 seats, the Shiv Sena 80-85 constituencies, and the NCP 50-55 seats.

Some of the 25 BJP MLAs who did not diagnostic successful the archetypal database person made a beeline astatine the location of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis successful the past 2 days to propulsion their candidature. Some summons aspirants who are not apt to get a summons person either joined different enactment oregon threatened to power sides. Several specified summons aspirants are those whose kin person already got tickets from the BJP.

While the elder BJP MP and erstwhile Union Minister Narayan Rane’s lad Nitesh is again contesting from Kankavli Assembly constituency successful Sindhudurg district, the enactment did not springiness a summons to his member Nilesh, who unsuccessfully fought the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, is acceptable to articulation the Sena and contention from the adjacent Kudal constituency. Similarly, elder MLA Ganesh Naik got the summons from Airoli successful Thane territory but his lad Sandeep who was denied a summons from Belapur successful the aforesaid territory has joined the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and is apt to get the Opposition party’s summons from the seat. The BJP has fielded sitting MLA Manda Mhatre from Belapur.

While immoderate BJP leaders pointed to a “one family, 1 ticket” norm, others successful the enactment pointed retired that the enactment had already fielded brothers from the aforesaid family: Ashish Shelar (Bandra West) and Vinod Shelar (Malad West). “In immoderate election, determination are ever 3 to 4 promising aspirants for each constituency. Ultimately, we person to prime conscionable 1 campaigner per constituency. Those near retired are bound to get upset,” said a BJP leader, adding that the enactment would effort and get the rebels to retreat earlier October 31, the past time for withdrawing nominations.

Even successful seats specified arsenic Shrigonda, Phulambri, and Chinchwad, wherever the enactment changed candidates, it did truthful with the statement of the outgoing MLA. In Shrigonda successful Ahmednagar district, the enactment replaced sitting MLA Babanrao Panchpute with his woman Pratibha portion successful Phulambri, the enactment has fielded Arundhatitai Chavan aft Haribhau Bagade was moved to Rajasthan arsenic Governor. In Chinchwad successful Pune district, the enactment replaced sitting MLA Ashwini Laxman Jagtap with her brother-in-law Shankar Jagtap, portion successful Kalyan East, Ganpat Gaikwad who is successful jailhouse for opening occurrence astatine a Sena person successful a constabulary presumption earlier this twelvemonth has been replaced by his woman Sulabha.

Among the MLAs retained are 10 heavyweight ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, and Magal Prabhat Lodha. Mungantiwar has been from Ballarpur successful Chandrapur district, months aft losing the Lok Sabha elections from the parliamentary constituency. “Had we dropped him, it would person conveyed a incorrect connection successful Vidarbha.”

One of the large changes successful the portion was successful Kamthi, wherever sitting MLA Teckchand Sawarkar was replaced by Bawankule arsenic the enactment wanted to appease the latter’s Teli OBC community. Vidarbha has 62 Assembly seats and volition beryllium important to however the BJP fares successful the polls. In 2014, erstwhile it came to powerfulness with 122 seats, the BJP swept Vidarbha by winning 44 seats successful Vidarbha. In 2019, erstwhile the party’s tally dropped to 105, a large chunk of the losses came successful Vidarbha wherever the enactment mislaid 15 seats. An investigation of the caller Lok Sabha polls shows that the Mahayuti alliance, of which the BJP is simply a part, led 22 Assembly segments portion the Maha Vikas Aghadi was up successful 35 segments, with the remainder going to smaller parties and Independents.