Maharashtra Elections: MNS chief Raj Thackeray announces candidates for two assembly seats

Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Monday announced the names of candidates for two assembly seats for the upcoming elections in the state.
Bala Nandgaonkar will contest from the Shivadi Assembly constituency of Mumbai while Dilip Dhotre will enter the fray from Pandharpur.
On August 3, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and discussed people's issues and several housing projects.
The Chief Minister's Office said, "Raj Thackeray met CM Eknath Shinde with the MNS delegation on various issues related to housing like the redevelopment of BDD chawl, the redevelopment of police housing colony and some other housing projects. The meeting was attended by some senior Maharashtra government officials too."
Earlier on July 25, Raj Thackeray announced his intention to contest 200 to 250 seats independently in the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.
In the 2019 Assembly election, the MNS only won 1 seat. During the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls the MNS supported the BJP.
The Lok Sabha polls 2024 have given a boost to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) winning seven seats, the Congress 13, and the NCP-SP one, taking the total tally of the alliance 17.
Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are scheduled to be held later this year. However, the Election Commission of India has yet to announce the dates.