Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Nine Candidates Withdraw from Belapur Constituency Race on Final Nomination Day

On November 4, the final day for withdrawing nominations, nine candidates, including seven independents, withdrew from the Belapur constituency race. Vijay Nahata, former Deputy Chief of Navi Mumbai from Shiv Sena (Shinde), who had filed as an independent candidate, chose not to withdraw and will continue to contest.

Similarly, in the Airoli constituency, Vijay Chougule, who also filed as an independent, did not withdraw his nomination.

Both Nahata and Chougule, formerly part of the Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction, are now contesting independently, which is seen as a significant setback for the Grand Alliance's candidates. Former Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik is contesting from Airoli, while Belapur’s sitting MLA, Manda Mhatre, is running on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.

In addition, Nivas Dinkar Sable of the Republican Party of India and Naveen Anandrao Pratape of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party, along with seven independent candidates, withdrew their nominations. Among them was former Deputy Mayor Ashok Gawade, who had recently joined Shiv Sena (Shinde) and had also filed as an independent candidate.

According to the Returning Officer for Belapur, 27 nominations were filed by 25 candidates by October 29, the last day for submissions. Manda Vijay Mhatre, the sitting MLA from Belapur, submitted her nomination on the final day.

Candidates Who Withdrew Their Nominations– (151 Belapur)

1. Nivas Dinkar Sable - Republican Party of India (A)

2. Shetty Shantaram Kukra - Independent

3. Naveen Anandrao Pratape - Bahujan Republican Socialist Party

4. Ashok Ankush Gawde - Independent

5. Akram Babu Hawaldar - Independent

6. Adv. Gurudev Narsingh Suryawanshi - Independent

7. Rahul Shankar Shirsath - Independent

8. Santosh Raghunath Kamble - Independent

9. Dr. Amardeep Popatrao Garad - Independent