In a most crucial contest that has the potential to alter the power dynamics in the country, more than 9.50 crore voters will go to polls in Maharashtra on Wednesday to decide on whether to re-elect the Bharatiya Janata Party-led MahaYuti government or usher the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation into power in a state that is ruled from the country's commercial capital.
Given the complexities of the polls that will witness a fierce battle between the two major political formations, it remains to be seen as to whether the ruling MahaYuti or the Opposition MVA will reach the magic figure of 145 (out of the total 288 seats), a simple majority required for staking a claim to form the next government in Maharashtra.
Both the ruling MahaYuti, comprising BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-headed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Opposition MVA, comprising the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP), have claimed that they would win anywhere from 170 to 180 seats to form a government in the state.
Fresh from the BJP's stunning victory in Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, during his campaigning, had pitched for the MahaYuti replicating the Haryana Assembly poll outcome in Maharashtra, a prospect that the Opposition MVA leaders have dismissed outright.
In all, there are 4,136 candidates in the fray for 288 Assembly seats. The main battle is going between the ruling MahaYuti and MVA in the polls. There are also candidates from several smaller and Independents - many of whom are rebels from the six major parties which constitute MahaYuti and MVA.
The BJP, which heads the ruling MahaYuti, is contesting 148 seats. Its allies, Eknath Shinde-Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, are contesting 80 seats and 53 seats respectively.
On the other hand, the Congress, which heads the MVA, is contesting 103 seats, while its allies, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded candidates in 89 constituencies and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) is contesting 87 seats. The MVA has allotted the remaining six seats to its smaller allies.
The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) fielded the largest number of 237 candidates followed by Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi from which 200 are in the race. The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is contesting 128 seats.
Significantly enough, the BJP, is involved in direct fights with the Congress in at least 75 constituencies across the state. In Vidarbha alone, the two major parties are slugging out against each in as many as 36 out of the total 62 constituencies in the region.
Given that the November 20 Assembly polls are being held in the backdrop of two major splits witnessed in the Shiv Sena and NCP in June 2022 and July 2023, there will be several direct fights between the feuding factions of the Shiv Sena and NCP.
While the Shinde Shiv Sena will slug it out with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena in as many as 39 seats. The feuding NCPs, one led by Ajit Pawar and another headed by Sharad Pawar himself, will take on each other in 36 constituencies.
In Mumbai-Konkan belt where there are 75 seats, the fight is between the two Senas, with the Shiv Sena (ES) and Shiv Sena (UBT) locking horns in 27 of the 75 places, followed by BJP vs Shiv Sena (UBT) in 17 places, BJP vs Congress in 14 places and BJP vs NCP (SP) in five places and NCP (AP) vs NCP (SP) in five seats.
In western Maharashtra where there are 58 seats, the two NCPs, led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar are engaged in direct contests in 20 seats. On the other hand, BJP has engaged the NCP (SP) in 15 places followed by BJP vs Congress in 12 places, BJP vs Shiv Sena (UBT) in five places and Shiv Sena (ES) vs Shiv Sena (UBT) in five places.
In north Maharashtra where there are 47 seats, the BJP and Congress are fighting against each other in six seats, followed by BJP vs Shiv Sena (UBT) in five places, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shjnde) Vs Shiv Sena (UBT) in five places, BJP Vs NCP (SP) in four places and NCP (AP) Vs NCP (SP) in three places.
In Marathwada where there are 46 seats, the Shinde Sena is battling it out against the Uddhav Sena in 11 constituencies followed by BJP Vs Congress in 10 places, BJP Vs NCP (SP) in seven places, NCP (SP) Vs NCP (AP) in seven places and BJP Vs Shiv Sena (UBT) in three seats.
Key contests are being witnessed in Kopri-Pachpakhadi, where chief minister Eknath Shinde is taking on late Anand Dighe's nephew Kedar Dighe (Shiv Sena-UBT), Nagpur South West where deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is pitted against Prafulla Gudadhe-Patil (Congress), Baramati where deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar (NCP) is battling out against his nephew Yugendra Pawar (NCP-SP), Worli where Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aadtiya Thackeray is locked in a fierce fight with Milind Deora ( Shinde Shiv Sena) and State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP) is involved in a direct fight against Suresh Bhoyar (Congress).
The other key constituencies are: Sakoli (Nana Patole) Karad South (former CM Prithviraj Chavan, Congress), Yevla (Chhagan Bhujbal, Ajit Pawar NCP), Vandre West (Ashish Shelar, BJP), Mahim (Amit Thackeray, MNS), Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar (Nawab Malik, Ajit Pawar NCP), Colaba (Speaker Rahul Narwekar, BJP), Kankavli (Nitesh Rane, BJP) and Kudal (NileshRane, Shinde Sena)
Meanwhile, the election authorities have made tight security arrangements across the state for Wednesday's Assembly polls. In Mumbai alone, more than 30,000 police personnel have been deployed on poll duty.
In addition in Mumbai, five additional commissioners of police, 20 deputy commissioners of police, 83 assistant commissioners of police, more than 2,000 other police officers and 25,000 personnel have been deployed. Three Riot Control Platoons have been put on duty for the purpose of maintaining order.The traffic department has separately deployed 144 officers and more than 1,000 other personnel on security duty. More than 4,000 Home Guards have also been deployed and several personnel drawn from various central and state security forces have been assigned duties at critical locations.
