Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 24 : Maharashtra minister and BJP candidate from the Malabar Hills Assembly seat, Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Thursday filed his nomination papers.
Lodha exuded confidence in the Mahayuti alliance forming the next government in the state.
"This time the people of Malabar Hills will contest this election by themselves. I will be with them. This time, crossing all the records we will register a big win. We will form a government in Maharashtra," Lodha told ANI.
The Maharshtra Assembly elections are scheduled on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) faction leader Aditya Thackeray held a road show and offered his prayers at a temple before filing his nomination from the Worli assembly constituency on Thursday.
After he offered his prayers at a temple, he spoke about filing his nomination to contest for the Worli constituency, he said, "I will be filing the nomination today, I have come to seek blessings before that."
He further said that he will seek to eradicate unemployment and stop the 'loot of Maharashtra.'
"My goal is to eradicate unemployment, Maharashtra is being looted, I want to remove that, that will be the goal if I get elected," he told reporters outside the temple.
During his road show Aditya Thackeray he exuded confidence in winning the Worli seat once again.
"I am very confident that the people will bless me because we are about to form government in Maharashtra and that is for sure. As you can see, this atmosphere is very good, you can see the love people are giving me, and with this I will be filing me nomination," he told ANI.
He further hit out at Eknath Shinde and BJP for 'looting Maharashtra.'
"What is important is to defeat Eknath Shinde and BJP which has looted Maharashtra," he added.
Additionally, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant said that the work done by Aditya Thackeray is remembered by everyone and that he would be winning the seat again.
"Aaditya Thackeray will file his nomination. His name is not new - the entire Maharashtra knows him and he is known in the entire country and even abroad. The works done by him are so important that he gets compliments from everyone and is in the hearts of the people," he said.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) had released its first list of 65 candidates.
One of the other matchups set for the upcoming elections is also Kedhar Dighe, nephew of Anand Dighe, who will be against CM Eknath Sindhe from the Kopri-Panchpakhadi Assembly constituency. Anand Dighe was the mentor of Eknath Sindhe.
Other candidates in the fray are Sunil Raut from Vikroli, Rajan Vichare from Than, Dipesh Mhatre from Dombivli, and Vaishali Sooryavanshi from Pachora.