Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: Congress forms 'Campaign Committee of Maharashtra'

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the constitution of the 'Campaign Committee of Maharashtra' for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, according to a release from the party, reported news agency ANI.

As per the release dated November 5, Chandrakant Handore has been appointed as the Chairman of the committee while Nana Gawande has been appointed as the Convener of the committee.

Varsha Gaikwad, Praniti Shinde, Imran Pratapgarhi, Kalyan Kale, Vilas Muttemwar, Satish Chaturvedi, Sunil Kedar, Suresh Shetty, Ulhas Pawar, Hussain Dalwai, Kumar Ketkar, Ashok Patil, Ashok (Bhai) Jagtap, Anees Ahmed, Mohan Joshi, Charulata Tokas, Abhijit Wanjari, Wajahat Mirza, Pradnya Satav, Ramhari Rupanwar, MM Shaikh, Munaf Hakim, Charan Singh Sapra, Rajaram Pangavhane and Rajesh Sharma has been appointed as the 'members' of the committee.

The other members of the committee are Sachin Sawant, Sharad Aher, Mahendra Gharat, Kishor Borker, Janet D'soza, Sandhya Sawalakhe, Siddharth Hattiambirre, Bhanudas Mali, Dr Ibrahim Bhaijan, Kamal Faruque, Anisha Bagul, Suryakant Patil, Hemlata Patil, Mohan Deshmukh, Pravin Deshmukh, Sunil Ahire, Anis Qureshi and Ashok Dhawad.

The Maharashtra assembly elections 2024 are set for November 20, with the counting of votes for all 288 constituencies scheduled for November 23.

The opposition MVA coalition, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (SCP), aims to reclaim power in the state, challenging the Mahayuti alliance, which includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

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

Maharashtra BJP expels 40 rebel leaders ahead of assembly polls

Amid the ongoing tussle between Mahayuti allies over seat-sharing, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday expelled 40 leaders and office bearers across 37 assembly constituencies for going against the party line.

"Despite holding the office bearer post in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), you have worked to violate party discipline. Such actions are a breach of party discipline and you are being expelled from the party immediately," the release signed by Maharashtra BJP office secretary Mukul Kulkarni said.

The saffron party released the names of 40 leaders including Ashok Pangarkar from the Jalna assembly constituency, Vishal Prabhakar Parab from Sawantwadi, Mayur Kapse from Jalgaon City, Jagdish Gupta from Amravati, Shrikant Karle from Dhule Rural, among others.

Karle recently filed a nomination from Dhule Rural as an Independent candidate. This comes days after Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that the party leaders will make efforts to convince the rebels to withdraw their nomination as an Independent candidate by November 4.

(With inputs from ANI)