Over 4,000 candidates in fray in Maharashtra polls, 28% rise over last time

A total of 4,136 candidates are in the fray for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections, a rise of 27.7 per cent over the number five years ago.

There are as many as 2,086 independent contenders among them. The Election Commission on Thursday made available the final figures of each party's candidates after withdrawals and rejections at the scrutiny stage even as campaigning is underway in full swing. In 2019, when the fight was between BJP-Shiv Sena and Congress-NCP alliances, a total of 3,239 candidates contested the elections.

This time, the political landscape is more fragmented with the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party splitting up in the last two years.

The assembly has a total of 288 seats. Of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded 149 candidates, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded 81 candidates, and deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led NCP has fielded 59. In the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray has 95 candidates in the fray and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has 86 candidates. In some constituencies, there would be friendly fights between allies. Of smaller parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded 237 candidates and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has 17 candidates in the fray.