NEW DELHI: All 288 seats in Maharashtra are set to vote for assembly elections on Wednesday in a single phase. Along with Maharashtra, Jharkhand will also vote for 38 seats in the second and final phase. In Maharashtra, it's a high-stakes battle for the two major alliances, Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti which is currently in power, and Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA).
Since 2019, when the last assembly was held, the state has seen two major splits with Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde splitting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena respectively. This election will therefore see a blockbuster contest of Sena vs Sena and Pawar vs Pawar where the parties fight for popular mandate and legacy. The incumbent BJP-led Mahayuti alliance seeks to maintain their control, whilst the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition aims to regain power in the state.
The electoral contest features 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents. In Mahayuti, the BJP is competing in 149 constituencies, Shiv Sena in 81, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has nominated candidates for 59 seats. On the other hand in MVA, Congress has nominated 101 candidates, whilst Shiv Sena (UBT) has 95 contestants, and NCP (SP) is represented by 86 candidates.
Meanwhile, the Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded 237 candidates, whilst the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) is contesting in 17 constituencies of the 288-member assembly. The two Pawars, Shinde and Thackeray are locked in a fierce contest for political legitimacy. The .
