The much-anticipated Maharashtra Assembly Elections for 2024 kicked off on Wednesday, with all 288 constituencies heading to the polls. With a total of 4,140 candidates in the running, the real competition lies between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Mahayuti alliances. The MVA, composed of Shiv Sena (under Uddhav Thackeray), NCP (led by Sharad Pawar), and Congress, is going head to head with Mahayuti, which includes Shiv Sena (under Eknath Shinde), NCP (under Ajit Pawar), and BJP. Mark your calendars for key dates of the election: Gazette Notification on October 22, Last Date for Nominations on October 29, Nomination Scrutiny on October 30, Last Date for Withdrawal of Nominations on November 4, and Voting Day on November 20.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: A Battle of Alliances
Background
The Maharashtra Assembly Elections are held every five years to elect members to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The state has a unicameral legislature, meaning that it has only one house. The current assembly has a total of 288 seats.
The upcoming elections in 2024 will be the 16th assembly elections in Maharashtra since the state's formation in 1960. The current government is led by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which consists of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Congress party. The opposition Mahayuti alliance includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (BSS), and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).
Key Dates
Top 5 FAQs
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Today marks a critical day for Maharashtra as the state holds assembly elections for 288 seats. With the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance determined to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance hoping for a strong comeback, the competition is intense. Over 4,000 candidates, including rebels from both alliances, are in the fray. Stay tuned for live updates as the voting process unfolds.