Thane gears up for a dynamic electoral contest as 43 candidates throw their hats into the ring for the upcoming 25th Thane Lok Sabha Constituency elections scheduled for May 20, 2024.

Manisha Jaybhaye Dhule, the Election Returning Officer and Upper Collector of the constituency, revealed that the final day of nomination filings witnessed a surge, with 23 candidates submitting a total of 26 nomination applications. This brought the overall count of nominations to 43, reflecting the fervour among aspirants vying for the parliamentary seat.

Among the prominent contenders are Naresh Ganpat Mhaske from Shiv Sena, Sambhaji Jagannath Jadhav representing the Sanyukta Bharat Paksh, Atiqur Rehman Shaikh of the Bharatiya Rashtrawadi Party, and Santosh Bhikaji Bhalerao from the Bahujan Samaj Party, among others. Additionally, a significant number of independent candidates have thrown their hats into the political arena, reflecting the diversity of voices and aspirations in the constituency.

The nomination papers, totalling 105 distributed since the commencement of the filing process on April 26, encompass a wide political affiliations. Parties such as Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Jawan Kisan Party, and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi are among those fielding candidates.

The scrutiny of the nomination papers was slated for May 4, 2024, followed by a window for withdrawal of candidature applications until May 6, 2024. With a diverse array of parties and independent candidates in the mix, the electoral landscape in Thane promises to be dynamic, with issues ranging from local development to national concerns likely to dominate the discourse in the lead-up to polling day.

Names of parties to whom nomination papers have been allotted

Bhartiya Rajniti Vikas Party - 1

AAP - 1

Independent - 46

Bhumiputra Party - 1

Bahujan Republican Socialist Party - 2

Bahujan Shakti – 1

Sanyukta Bharat Paksh - 2

Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Party – 4

Hindustan Manav Party - 1

Republican Bahujan Sena - 2

People's Party of India Democratic - 3

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Party - 2

Bahujan Mukti Party - 2

Bharatiya Jawan Kisan Party - 2

Delhi Janata Party - 3

Lokrajya Party - 1

Hindu Samaj Party - 3

Dharamveer Anand Dighe Saheb Vichar ani Seva Manch - 1

Bahujan Samaj Party - 6

Bharatiya Rashtrawadi Party - 1

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi - 5

Azad Samaj Party - 1

Bharatiya Janata Party - 1

Republican Sena - 1

Shiv Sena Shinde group - 4

Bharat Mahaparivar Party - 1

Bhimsena - 1

Independent Party - 1

RPI - 1

Bahujan Maha Party - 3

Rashtriya Maratha Party - 1