Maharashtra polls: Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena releases first list of candidates, Aaditya Thackeray to contest from Worli

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction on Wednesday released the first list of 65 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

Former minister Aaditya Thackeray has been fielded from his current Worli constituency in central Mumbai, as per the list.

Yuva Sena leader and Thackeray's cousin Varun Sardesai would contest from Bandra (East) seat in the city.



The party has renominated most of its MLAs who stayed with Uddhav Thackeray after the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022. In Thane's Kopri-Panchpakhadi seat, where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is in the fray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded Kedar Dighe.

Kedar Dighe is the nephew of late Sena leader Anand Dighe, considered to be Shinde's political mentor.

As the polling date draws near, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP alongside the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have intensified their preparations.

The Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23.

In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena won 56 seats, and the Congress secured 44 seats. In 2014, the BJP won 122 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 63 and the Congress 42.