The BJP on Sunday released its first list of 99 candidates for the election to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, fielding Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from his traditional Nagpur South West seat.

Maharashtra’s BJP President, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, is set to contest from Kamthi, and Shrijaya Chavan, the daughter of BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan, has been nominated to run from Bhokar.

The candidate list also includes Mumbai BJP President Ashish Selar for the Vandre West seat, and Nitesh Rane, the son of senior party leader and Lok Sabha MP Narayan Rane, contesting from Kankavli, the seat he currently represents in the assembly.

Other notable candidates are Girish Mahajan from Jamner, Sudhir Mungantiwar from Ballarpur, Mangal Prabhat Lodha from Malabar Hill, Rahul Narwekar from Colaba, and Chhatrapati Shivendra Raje Bhosale, a descendant of Chatrapati Shivaji, running from Satara.

The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, has yet to finalize their seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The BJP is looking to contest around 150 seats in the state but is involved in tough bargaining with its allies and Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray-Eknath Shinde faction united) got 56, and the Congress claimed 44. Similarly, in the 2014 elections, the BJP had a stronger performance with 122 seats, while Shiv Sena won 63, and Congress secured 42 seats.

Contrastingly, in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance managed to secure only 17 out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, in comparison to the Congress-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) winning 30 seats.

The Maharashtra assembly elections for 288 seats are scheduled for November 20, with results expected on November 23.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi asserted on Sunday that the dirty politics of the BJP is responsible for growing air and water pollution in the national capital.

The air quality in the national capital has begun to worsen as winter sets in. Thick layers of toxic chemical froth have been observed covering the surface of the Yamuna river at various locations, particularly at Kalindikunj.

Atishi, newly elected CM, absolved the AAP-ruled Punjab and accused the burning of ‘parali’ (paddy stubble), diesel buses, and brick kilns in the BJP-ruled Haryana for the poor air quality in Delhi.

She also asserted that thousands of diesel buses from Uttar Pradesh arriving at the Kaushambi bus depot on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, brick kilns in the National Capital Region (NCR), and thermal plants in the region are also contributing to air pollution in Delhi.

According to Atishi, the froth observed on the Yamuna in Delhi is a result of untreated industrial wastewater being discharged into the river.

She highlighted that Haryana releases 165 million gallons per day (MGD) of industrial untreated wastewater through drains into Yamuna, while UP discharges 65 MGD of such polluted water through various drains into the river.

Atishi criticised the BJP, stating that their dirty politics is to blame for the increasing air and water pollution in Delhi, but stressed that AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal, is committed to assisting the people of the city.

During a press conference, Atishi claimed that data from the central government indicated a reduction in farm fires in Punjab from 71,300 in 2021 to 36,600 in 2023.

She also referred to data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, which indicated a 27% decrease in paddy stubble burning in Punjab between October 1 and 15, from 1105 in 2023 to 811.

Furthermore, she highlighted an increase in farm fires in Haryana and UP, which she attributed to dirty politics by the BJP. Atishi announced that the use of silicone-based defoamers would commence from Sunday night to alleviate the froth layer on the Yamuna’s surface.

Former Haryana Minister Captain Ajay Singh Yadav made a U-turn and returned to Congress, two days after quitting the grand old party.

Taking to X on Saturday night, Yadav called himself a true Congressman, saying he is a Congressman by birth and will remain so till his last breath.

The 65-year-old leader, who quit Congress on Thursday over his work for OBC department was not being appreciated by high command, said that he has dedicated 38 years to serve the Congress and has given his best to the party.

“I have sent my resignation letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s ji from Chairman AICC OBC Department and also from primary membership of Indian National Congress party,” he said earlier while tagging Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC chairperson Sonia Gandhi in his post on X.

On Friday, Yadav said he believes in self-respect as holding a post is not important but important is how much “you can do for the party without any hindrance”.

The former minister joined Congress in 1988. Yadav said he joined the party when there was proper interaction with the party leader which went on till the late Rajiv Gandhi and even Sonia Gandhi, but Yadav alleged lately coterie has surrounded around Rahul Gandhi keeping him away from party workers including senior leaders.

Meanwhile, he realised two days later that his family has maintained an association of more than 70 years with the Nehru-Gandhi family and said: “I was prevailed upon my son Chiranjeev to forget the past and work for congress party. I am specially indebted to my leader and mentor Sonia Gandhi ji and can never think of hurting her feelings.

He was upset that the hard work that he had done for the OBC department was not being appreciated by the high command and some harsh words made him take such a drastic step, but later with a cool mind, the former minister added that he decided to return back and strengthen the Congress party.

“I worked with my leader late Rajiv Gandhi ji and Sonia Gandhi and cannot forget their affection towards me. I am congressman by birth and will remain congressman till my last breath,” said Yadav.

Citing poor treatment following Sonia Gandhi’s departure as party president, the former minister resigned from the Congress.

Yadav recently suggested that the party should reflect on the reasons behind its electoral failures in southern Haryana, especially in Gurugram, Rewari, Mahendragarh, and Faridabad. The party only managed to win one seat in these areas, compared to the ten secured by the BJP.