Maharashtra has cast its vote and will soon reveal who will form the new 288-seat legislative assembly. For the 2024 assembly elections, the contest was between two major alliances- Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi.
The first comprises of the incumbent Shinde Sena with BJP and Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party. This alliance is referred to as the Mahayuti alliance.
Contesting against the Mahayuti alliance is the Maha Vikas Aghadi - comprising of the Indian National Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party.
Throughout the election campaigning, leaders such as PM Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress Leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and many others have travelled across the state to gather support for their respective candidates and alliances.
For the 2024 elections, a total of 4,140 candidates are in the fray, including incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Congress' Nana Patole, Shiv Sena UBT's Aaditya Thackeray and many more.
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Key Candidates In Fray
Eknath Shinde - Shinde Sena
The incumbent Chief Minister and leader of Shinde Sena is contesting for the assembly elections from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat. Shinde currently maintains a stronghold in the Thane seat. Shinde was elected in 2004 and since then has won three consecutive terms in the restructured constituency.
Nana Patole - Congress
State Congress president Nana Patole contested the Maharashtra assembly elections from the Sakoli seat. In the Sakoli district, Patole, who was recently accused of misappropriating bitcoin, is vying for a third term in the assembly constituency.
Devendra Fadnavis - BJP
Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is contesting the race from the Nagpur South West Seat. The BJP leader is expected to retain the seat once again due to this stronghold in the constituency. With the 2024 polls, Fadnavis is seeking a sixth consecutive term.
Aaditya Thackeray - Shiv Sena (UBT)
In Worli, Aaditya Thackeray made a historic debut and a landslide victory with 89,248 votes. The Shiv Sena candidate gained recognition for his hands-on work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Milind Deora - Shinde Sena
Up against Thackeray is Milind Deora, former MP from South Mumbai. Deora is banking on votes from the urban middle-class voters. With the 2024 contest, Deora will be making his political debut with a Shinde Sena ticket.
Ajit Pawar - NCP
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is contesting the race from Baramat, where he faces his grandnephew Yugendra. Ajit Pawar has won the Baramati constituency seven times and is currently seeking an eight term.
After joining the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the 2023 NCP, Ajit Pawar took over Baramati from his uncle Sharad Pawar.
Zeeshan Siddique - NCP (Ajit Pawar)
Zeeshan Siddique is contesting the race from Bandra East. Siddique's contest comes on an NCP-Ajit Pawar ticket and a month after the murder of his father and state minister Baba Siddique.
Harshvardhan Patil - NCP (Sharad Pawar)
Contesting from Inapur, Congress turned BJP minister Harshvardhan Patil is fighting for a fifth term. Despite being a part of BJP, Patil is fighting the 2024 polls on an NCP Sharad Pawar ticket as BJP refused to field him.
Indapur has been a key stronghold for Congress until 2014, when BJP's Dattatray Bharne took over.
Praful Gudadhe-Patil - Congress
Up against deputy CM Fadnavis, Congress' Praful Gudadhe-Patil is banking on anti-incumbency votes from Nagpur South West. This is the second time Patil is contesting against Fadnavis, who has won the constituency seat for five consecutive terms.
Yugendra Pawar - NCP (Sharad Pawar)
Yugendra Pawar is up against his uncle Ajit Pawar in the Baramati seat. In Baramati, Ajit Pawar has been a loyal face in the constituency seat, having won the polls seven times in a row.
Yugendra Pawar, however, has been backed by Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule as they hope for a win for the SP faction.
