The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) core committee met at a private hotel on Wednesday to discuss candidates ward-wise, with the party finalising several names.
Senior leaders Murlidhar Mohol, Chandrakant Patil, Dheeraj Ghate, and Ganesh Bidkar were present at the meeting. Party sources said the leadership has almost finalised a list of around 100 candidates and is clear on ticket distribution for these seats. “The list will be sent to the state unit for approval,” a source said.
The BJP is expected to announce its first list within the next two to three days. However, the party is likely to delay the announcement of the remaining candidates until the last moment to avoid rebellion within its ranks. As discussions continued, aspirants closely tracked developments to see whether their names featured on the list.
Dheeraj Ghate, city unit president, said, “Discussions are ongoing. Once the list is finalised, we will officially announce it.”
Meanwhile, sources said the BJP is allocating fewer seats to its ally, the Shiv Sena. With Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar reportedly kept out of the discussions, some Sena leaders have gone to Mumbai to meet deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, seeking a larger share of seats in Pune city.