Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 23 : Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde exuded confidence in the Mahayuti alliance winning the state's assembly polls with a big majority.
"This is the first list (of candidates for Maharashtra Assembly election), next 2nd list will come, we will then contest the elections, then Mahayuti will win with a big majority," he said.
CM Shinde arrived in Guwahati on Tuesday evening and he will offer prayers at the famous Maa Kamakhya Temple here today.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shiv Sena released its first list of candidates 45 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will contest from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi Assembly constituency.
Other candidates included in the list are Manisha Ravindra Waykar from Jogeshwari (East), Suhas Dwarkanath Kande from Nandgao, Pradip Shivnarayan Jaiswal from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (middle) and Balaji Devidasrao Kalyankar from Nanded North.
Sada Sarvankar has been fielded from the Mahim seat against Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray.
The party has pushed for CM Shinde to be presented as the face for the chief ministerial position in its recent meeting held on October 18.
As the polling date draws near, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP alongside the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) -- comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress -- have intensified their preparations.
In the 2019 assembly elections in Maharashtra, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and Congress won 44 seats. In 2014, the BJP won 122 seats, Shiv Sena secured 63, and Congress won 42 seats.