Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Stage set for Mahayuti vs MVA, voting across 288 assembly constituencies underway

Voting for the Maharashtra assembly election 2024 is currently underway. Polling started at 7 am and will last 6 pm today, and vote counting is scheduled for November 23.

A total of 4.136 candidates are contesting across 288 assembly constituencies. To accommodate 9.7 crore registered voters, including 6,101 transgender and 6.41 lakh PwD voters, 1,00,186 polling booths have been set up. Nearly six lakh government employees will oversee polling.

As part of the Mahayuti, the BJP is contesting on 149 seats, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on 81 and Ajit Pawar's NCP on 59. In the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Congress is fighting 101 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95 and NCP (SP) 86. 

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) are also participating, with BSP contesting 237 seats and AIMIM fielding 17 candidates.  More than 150 constituencies feature rebel candidates from both Mahayuti and MVA alliances. 

In this high octane election, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance is aiming for another term, while the MVA is seeking a strong comeback. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won just 9 of the 28 seats it contested versus 23 of the 25 seats in the 2019 general elections. 

The election has witnessed high-octane campaign featuring leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Yogi Adityanath, and Pawan Kalyan, as well as Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Shiv Sena and NCP, is focusing on welfare schemes such as 'Majhi Ladki Bahin' for women. 

On the other hand, slogans like Batenge toh katenge have remained controversial as the Opposition accused the BJP of voter polarisation. Ajit Pawar has distanced himself from these slogans, while deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has attempted to clarify their meanings. 

Since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on October 15, enforcement agencies have seized cash, liquor, and other items worth ₹252.42 crore, including ₹83.12 crore in precious metals. 

In the 2019 assembly elections, 61.4 per cent voter turnout was reported. The NDA alliance comprising the BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena won a majority at the time. The alliance, however, broke due to differences over government formation in the state.