Maharashtra polls: Both alliances in conundrums over final candidate list

There is no sign that either alliance in Maharashtra is ready with a list of candidates for the Assembly election

Assembly elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha are by the middle of November. Exuding confidence, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress President Nana Patole said last week: “All the problems have been solved. The Congress will contest the larger number of seats (in the alliance). We will announce our candidates on Vijayadashami (October 12).” He was referring to a composite list of candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which has the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, or UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar, or SCP), apart from the Congress and smaller parties as its members.