Nagpur, India: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde declared Ashish Jaiswal as his party’s nominee for the Ramtek constituency, catching BJP candidates off guard.

The announcement was made on October 13 during the foundation stone-laying ceremony and the inauguration of several development projects in the Ramtek constituency, at an event in Parshivni.

In response to Jaiswal’s request, CM Shinde officially confirmed him as the candidate for the upcoming elections.

In the 2019 elections, Jaiswal ran as an independent, defying the coalition’s decision, yet he still won. Local BJP leaders opposed offering him the Mahayuti candidacy for the next election.

Shinde’s decision to announce Jaiswal as the candidate, despite BJP’s resistance, has caught many BJP aspirants by surprise. Notably, after the Shiv Sena split, Jaiswal traveled to Guwahati to support Shinde.

CM Shinde emphasized that Ashish Jaiswal is already a member of his party and expressed confidence that rural women would place even greater trust in the government this time. He assured that the government’s schemes would not only continue but also expand.