Sun Oct 20 18:31:32 UTC 2024: **Summary of the BJP’s Candidate List for Maharashtra Assembly Elections:**

1. **Candidate Announcement**: The BJP has released its first list of 99 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, featuring 71 sitting MLAs.

2. **Key Figures**:
– Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will contest from the Nagpur South West seat.
– State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule will run from Kamthi, a seat he previously held.

3. **Community Representation**: The candidate list predominantly includes representatives from the OBC, Maratha, and Adivasi communities, with 13 women candidates.

4. **Notable Candidates**:
– Sreejaya Ashokrao Chavan, daughter of former CM Ashok Chavan, will make her electoral debut from Bhokar.
– Several prominent MLAs from Mumbai are included, while three sitting MLAs have not been retained.

5. **Excluded Candidates**:
– Ram Satpute, the sitting MLA from Solapur, has been omitted after losing a Lok Sabha election to a Congress candidate.
– Kamthi’s sitting MLA, Tekchand Savarkar, is replaced by Bawankule due to past controversies.

6. **Family Candidates**: The party is fielding family members of current MLAs in some instances, including spouses and relatives of existing representatives.

7. **Repeat Candidates**: The BJP has retained several MLAs in Pune and other areas, aiming to strengthen their chances based on previous performance.

8. **Election Context**: The list highlights the party’s strategy to balance community representation and previous electoral performance in a highly competitive political landscape ahead of the elections.

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