Maharashtra Election 2024: Voting Underway for All 288 Seats in High-Stakes Battle!

Maharashtra is voting today, November 20, to elect its 288-member Assembly, with the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance aiming to retain power while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) strives for a comeback. Polling started at 7 AM and will end at 6 PM, with the vote count scheduled for November 23. Prominent leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other Union Ministers campaigned extensively across the state. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance comprises Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's NCP, focusing on popular programs like "Majhi Ladki Bhagin" to garner support. The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shinde's Shiv Sena 81, and Pawar's NCP 59. Within the MVA, Congress has fielded candidates in 101 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) in 95, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP in 86. Smaller parties, including the BSP and AIMIM, are also in the race, with the BSP contesting 237 seats and AIMIM 17. This year, the candidate count has risen by 28% compared to 2019, with 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents, in the fray. Over 150 rebels are contesting against official party nominees in several constituencies. Maharashtra’s updated voter registry as of October 30 lists 9,70,25,119 voters, including 5,00,22,739 men, 4,69,96,279 women, and 6,101 transgender individuals. There are also 6,41,425 voters with disabilities and 1,16,170 service voters from the armed forces. To accommodate the rising number of voters, the state has increased polling stations to 1,00,186 from 96,654 in 2019, with around six lakh government employees deployed for election duties. Since the implementation of the model code of conduct on October 15, enforcement agencies have seized ₹252.42 crore worth of cash and goods, including ₹63.47 crore in cash, 34,89,088 liters of liquor worth ₹33.73 crore, narcotics worth ₹32.67 crore, and precious metals valued at ₹83.12 crore.