Maharashtra: Nomination Process Begins Today for Nagpur, Chandrapur Lok Sabha Seats; Congress Candidate Announcement Pending

X: @the_news_21

The anticipation surrounding the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra has reached a fever pitch with the release of the notification for the first phase of polling today. This notification, applicable to five crucial constituencies in East Vidarbha, namely Nagpur, Ramtek, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, and Bhandara-Gondia, marks the commencement of the electoral process in the state.

In the previous 2019 elections, Nagpur witnessed a heated contest with 30 candidates vying for the Lok Sabha seat, while Ramtek saw 16 contenders in the fray.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Nitin Gadkari as its candidate from Nagpur and Sudhir Mungantiwar from Chandrapur for this phase. However, suspense looms over the BJP’s candidates for Bhandara-Gondia and Gadchiroli Lok Sabha constituencies. Additionally, a decision regarding the grand coalition’s candidate for Ramtek is yet to be finalized.

On the other hand, the Mahavikas Aghadi alliance has not disclosed its candidates for the five Lok Sabha constituencies in the first phase, adding to the intrigue surrounding the upcoming elections.

The election schedule outlines a tight timeline for the candidates, with nomination papers being accepted starting today until March 27. Scrutiny of nominations will occur on March 28, followed by the deadline for withdrawal of candidature applications on March 30.

Notably, due to a three-day administrative holiday between March 20 and March 27, candidates will have only five days to file their nominations, intensifying the race for candidacy.

In Maharashtra, voting will be conducted in five phases from April 19 to May 20, aligned with the nationwide voting schedule spanning seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The state’s voting phases are as follows:

• First Phase: April 19, 2024: Polling in six constituencies in Vidarbha, including Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondia, Gadchiroli-Chimur, and Chandrapur.
• Second Phase: April 26, 2024: Voting in eight constituencies, including Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Akola, Amravati, and Buldhana.
• Third Phase: May 7, 2024: Polling in eleven constituencies, covering Raigad, Baramati, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, and Hatkanangle.
• Fourth Phase: May 13, 2024: Elections in eleven constituencies, including Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, and Beed.
• Fifth Phase: May 20, 2024: The final phase of voting, encompassing thirteen constituencies such as Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai North, Mumbai South, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-Central, and Mumbai South-Central.