Sun Oct 20 22:22:24 UTC 2024: Here are the important points from the news article regarding the BJP’s announcement of candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections:

– **Nominees Announcement**: The BJP has released its first list of 99 candidates for the November 20 Assembly elections in Maharashtra, retaining 80 of its sitting MLAs.
– **Seat Contesting Strategy**: The party plans to contest around 160 of the 288 total seats and is negotiating with its allies, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP, for additional seats.
– **2019 Performance**: In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP won 105 of the 164 seats contested in alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena.
– **Prominent Candidates**: Key figures in the list include Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (contesting from Nagpur South West) and state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule (contesting from Kamthi).
– **Electoral Debut**: Shreejaya Chavan, daughter of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan (newly joined BJP from Congress), will contest from Bhokar, marking her first electoral participation.
– **Fresh Candidates**: The BJP has introduced fresh candidates in at least four constituencies previously won, including Phulambri, Chinchwad, Shrigonda, and Kalyan East.
– **Notable Replacements**:
– Arundhatitai Chavan replaces Haribhau Bagade in Phulambri.
– Ashwini Jagtap replaced by her brother-in-law Shankar Jagtap in Chinchwad.
– Pratibha Panchpute replaces Babanrao Panchpute, and Sulabha Gaikwad replaces Ganpat Gaikwad in Kalyan East due to his legal issues.
– **Other Candidates**: The first list includes Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and various ministers, alongside candidates from Mumbai, where the BJP announced 14 candidates out of 36 seats.
– **Financial Services Announcement**: HDB Financial Services (HDFC Bank subsidiary) is planning a Rs 12,500 crore public issue, which includes a stake sale and a fresh share issue.

This summary encapsulates key developments in the BJP’s candidate selections and broader election strategies for the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

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