SP Names 5 Candidates For Maharashtra, Fields Abu Azmi From Shivaji Nagar

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party (SP) has released the list of four candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The polling will be held on November 20 in one single phase on all the 288 seats. Results will be declared on November 23. 

1. Abu Azmi from Shivaji Nagar
2. Raees Shaikh from Bhiwandi East
3. Riyaz Azmi from Bhiwandi West
4. Sain-e-Hind from Malegaon
5. Irshad Jahagirdar from Dhule city 

SP has named four candidates at a time when its INDI alliance partners including Congress , Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP- Sharad Pawar , are discussing seat-sharing and are yet to reach to a conclusion. 

Samajwadi Party wants to fight on 12 seats

The Samajwadi Party has asked for 12 seats as part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra , party chief Akhilesh Singh Yadav said on Saturday, even as the alliance is yet to declare its seat-sharing arrangement.

Talking to reporters in north Maharashtra 's Dhule district, Yadav said his party has declared candidates for five seats. Yadav said his party is the one that is satisfied with a few seats.

"We have asked for 12 seats (as part of the MVA)," he said, adding that the SP has shared details of the seats where it has a strong presence. The SP's assertion has come at a time when the MVA constituents are in a stalemate over seat-sharing.

In a statement, SP's Abu Azmi said, “We have declared five candidates so that they (MVA) know that we are strong here, or else they will tell us in the meeting that your candidate is not very strong. We have shown that we are asking for seats where we are strong.”

He added Congress has not won the Bhiwandi East seat since 1999.

"Only we will win this seat. They should not regret it like Haryana later (if the MVA fields a candidate from the seat)," he said. Azmi said MVA leaders have spoken to him and assured him about seats.

On the other side, a crucial meeting took place at Home Minister Amit Shah 's residence in Delhi comprising Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Friday to discuss Maharashtra elections. 

With inputs from PTI