The Maharashtra Assembly elections, scheduled for November 20, are highly anticipated as the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance fights to hold on to power while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine aims to make a strong comeback.
Polling will take place in all 288 assembly seats with a total of 9.7 crore registered voters, including a significant number of women and transgender voters. The Mahayuti alliance, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is counting on their popular schemes like Majhi Ladki Bahin for women to win over voters and retain power.
However, the MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), has strongly condemned the ruling party’s use of slogans like “Batenge toh katenge” and “Ek hai toh safe hai.”
The opposition is targeting issues like caste-based census, social justice, and protecting the Constitution in an attempt to appeal to voters who feel neglected by the government.
With over 1 lakh polling stations set up, this election is expected to have a high turnout. The major parties in the fray are BJP with 149 seats, Shiv Sena with 81 seats, and NCP with 59 seats.
It remains to be seen which alliance will emerge victorious in this highly contested election.