Maharashtra Elections 2024: Key Contests And Prominent Candidates To Watch

Voting for the Maharashtra Assembly elections will take place on November 20. The polling will be held in a single phase, from 7 AM to 5 PM. Out of the 288 seats, 234 are in the general category, 29 are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), and 25 for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Key constituencies in this election include: Kopri-Pachpakhadi, where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is contesting, Nagpur South West, Devendra Fadnavis’ stronghold, and Baramati, where a Pawar family clash is set to unfold.

Major Constituencies and Candidates

1. Worli: The high-profile Worli seat in Mumbai sees a three-way battle. Milind Deora of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faces Aaditya Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sandeep Deshpande of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Deora, a former MP, banks on his appeal among urban voters. Aaditya, who won decisively in 2019, gained popularity during the pandemic for his proactive approach. Deshpande, though from a smaller party, has earned local support for his focus on civic issues.
2. Baramati: This constituency is set for a clash within the Pawar family. Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew, Yugendra Pawar, backed by NCP (SP), challenges Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Ajit Pawar has dominated the seat, winning seven terms since 1991. He secured nearly 1.95 lakh votes in 2019, with an 83.24% vote share.

Hot Contests in Nagpur, Vandre East, and Kopri-Pachpakhadi

3. Nagpur South West: Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis seeks to secure his seat for the fourth consecutive term. He has represented this constituency since 2009, winning three straight terms. Praful Gudadhe of the Congress Party, with his deep local roots, could challenge Fadnavis, particularly over urban infrastructure and public service concerns.
4. Vandre East: Zeeshan Siddique and Varun Sardesai face off in this heated contest. Siddique, supported by young and Muslim voters, has a strong grassroots following. Sardesai, nephew of Uddhav Thackeray, draws support from Shiv Sena’s traditional base in the constituency.
5. Kopri-Pachpakhadi: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faces Kedar Dighe, the nephew of his political mentor, the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe. This contest pits the ruling Mahayuti bloc, which includes the BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP, against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes Congress, NCP (SP), and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT).

The Mahayuti alliance is contesting 148 seats with BJP, Shiv Sena (80), and NCP (53). The MVA alliance, which includes Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT), is contesting 103, 89, and 87 seats, respectively.

The vote counting will take place on 23 November.

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