A day after it split with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the BJP on Friday night released its first list of 172 candidates for the Assembly elections. Out of these only 36 are sitting MLAs.
According to party sources, the BJP is expected to contest 260 odd seats out of the 288 in the Assembly, while leaving the rest for its four smaller allies, who were part of the “Mahayuti” (grand alliance)
Till 2009, when it was allied to the Shiv Sena, the BJP fought only 119 seats in the State while the Sena would take 169.
This is the first election since 1989 that the party will contest without the Sena.
The list contains key names such as Eknath Khadse, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly (Muktainagar), Vinod Tawde (Borivali) and BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar (Bandra West).
