New Delhi: Maharashtra is set to vote in a single-phase assembly election today, in what political experts are predicting a close battle between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The state, India’s third-largest by assembly strength and second-largest in Lok Sabha representation, will decide the fate of 288 constituencies.
The Mahayuti coalition consists of the BJP, chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On the other side, the MVA comprises the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction.
Key constituencies to watch out for
| Constituency | Mahayuti | MVA |
| Kopri-Pachpakhadi | Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) | Kedar Dighe (Shiv Sena-UBT) |
| Nagpur South West | Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) | Prafulla Gudadhe-Patil (Congress) |
| Baramati | Ajit Pawar (NCP) | Yugendra Pawar (NCP-SP) |
| Worli | Milind Deora (Shiv Sena) | Aaditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT) |
| Kamthi | Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP) | Suresh Bhoyar (Congress) |
| Colaba | Rahul Narwekar(BJP) | Heera Devasi(Congress) |
| Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar | Nawab Malik (NCP) | Abu Azmi (Samajwadi Party) |
| Yevla | Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP) | Manikrao Shinde (NCP-SP) |
| Bhokar | Sreejaya Chavan (BJP) | Tirupati Kondhekar (Congress) |
| Karad South | Atul Suresh Bhosale (BJP) | Prithviraj Chavan (Congress) |
| Wander East | Zeeshan Siddique(NCP) | Varun Sardesai(Shiv Sena-UBT) |
| Wander West | Ashish Shelar(BJP) | Asif Zakaria (Congress) |
| Mumbadevi | Shaina NC (Shiv Sena) | Amin Patel (Congress) |
| Kankavli | Nitish Rane(BJP) | Sandesh Parkar (Shiv Sena-UBT) |
| fences | Nilesh Rane (Shiv Sena) | Vaibhav Naik(Shiv Sena-UBT) |
| Islampur | Nishikant Bhosale Patil (NCP) | Jayant Patil (NCP-SP) |
Polling will be held from 7am to 5pm across 288 constituencies. Of these, 234 seats are general, 29 are reserved for Scheduled Castes, and 25 for Scheduled Tribes. The results will be announced on November 23.
4,136 candidates in fray for 288 constituencies
In the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP is contesting the majority of seats with candidates in 148 constituencies, followed by the Shiv Sena fielding 80 candidates and Ajit Pawar’s NCP contesting 53. Meanwhile, in the MVA bloc, the Congress has fielded candidates in 103 constituencies, Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting 89 seats, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP is focusing on 87. There are some seats where friendly fights are expected.
A total of 4,136 candidates are in the fray, with independents making up nearly half the field at 2,086. Smaller parties, including the BSP, contesting 237 seats, and AIMIM, competing in 17 constituencies, could play a critical role in vote splits.
High stakes for both alliances
For the Congress, the election is a crucial test of its alliance under the INDIA bloc following its recent loss in Haryana. The party, which was riding high after winning 99 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, was defeated by the BJP despite the latter facing 10 years of incumbency. For Congress’ alliance partners, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), this election is equally crucial following the vertical splits in their organisations led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, respectively.
The MVA, which formed the government after the 2019 assembly elections, first faced a major setback in 2022 when Eknath Shinde rebelled against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. This was followed by another split in 2023 when Ajit Pawar broke away from the NCP, led by his uncle and party patriarch Sharad Pawar. Both rebellious factions were subsequently granted the main party status by the Election Commission.
For Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, a strong performance would solidify their position in the state after a reduced Lok Sabha tally earlier this year, both nationally and in Maharashtra.
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