Maharashtra Elections 2024: Raj Thackeray Names MNS Candidates For Kalyan, Thane; BJP Picks Sulbha Gaikwad For Kalyan East Amid Controversy

MNS Chief Raj Thackeray announced the names of two candidates: Raju Patil, a sitting MLA from Kalyan Rural, and Avinash Jadhav from Thane on Monday. Raj Thackeray visited Kalyan for the inauguration of Raju Patil's office in the presence of MNS leaders and workers. Thackeray stated that he will present on October 24 for nomination for two candidates. He appealed to the gathering of workers to come in large numbers on nomination day.

BJP declared the first list of candidates, in which sitting MLA Ganpat Gaikwad's wife Sulbha Gaikwad from Kalyan East. Ganpat Gaikwad is in jail for allegedly shooting at Shinde faction leader Mahesh Gaikwad at Ulhasnagar police station in February of this year.

In response to the ticket given to Sulbha Gaikwad, Mahesh Gaikwad, a leader from Kalyan East from Eknath Shinde faction speaking with the media said we, along with all party workers, opposed Ganpat Gaikwad's wife's ticket. We will not work for her during the elections. Our party workers demanded that the Kalyan East seat should be given to Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde Faction.

The Congress created suspense by not announcing the name of the candidate in the Bhiwandi West Assembly. A few days ago, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was in Dhule district of Maharashtra seeking votes for Raees Shaikh from Bhiwandi East and for Riyaz Azmi from Bhiwandi West. While the Bhiwandi West seat always goes to the Congress party, now the workers from MVA are not sure which party's candidate will contest from Bhiwandi West.

The BJP repeated Kisan Kathore from Murbad, Mahesh Chougule from Bhiwandi, and the PWD minister from Dombivli. The BJP has not announced the name of the sitting MLA Kumar Ailani yet in the first list.