Political Showdown: Nagpur Civic Elections Heat Up

The BJP and the Shiv Sena have announced candidates for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections, leaving the NCP to contest separately. Meanwhile, Congress and NCP (SP) under MVA decided to go solo, amid allegations of BJP favoritism. Elections are set for January 15.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have proactively announced their candidates for all 151 seats in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections. Notably, the BJP plans to contest 143 seats, allotting a mere eight to its ally, Shiv Sena. This strategic list was unveiled by Nagpur city BJP president, Dayashankar Tiwari.

In a twist, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance parties, namely Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar), have opted to compete in the Nagpur polls independently. This separation surfaces after the Sharad Pawar-led NCP accused Congress of not fulfilling an internal seat-sharing promise, notably concerning 15 contested seats.

The elections for Maharashtra's civic bodies, including Nagpur, are slated for January 15, with the count scheduled for the next day. Importantly, candidates must file nominations by Tuesday, with January 2 noted as the withdrawal deadline. The final roll of candidates will be publicized on January 3.

(With inputs from agencies.)