Maharashtra Assembly Polls: 96.3 million voters, 4,136 candidates, and a bitter battle set between MVA, Mahayuti

After a rather eventful and acrimonious election campaign, 96,369,410 voters will decide the fate of 4,136 candidates battling it out for the 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly polls.

The elections are one of a kind in the state as there are four parties in the state, each claiming to be the original party. There is the Mahayuti ruling alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and the NCP(Ajit), on the one hand and the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena on the other hand.

The BJP is contesting on 149 seats; Shiv Sena on 81; and NCP on 59. Even though they are in an alliance, BJP, Sena and NCP are contesting on several seats of their allies in what is being called as 'friendly fights'.


On the MVA front, the Congress is contesting the most seats (101) whereas the UBT is contesting on 95 seats and NCP-SP is contesting on 86 seats of Maharashtra.

Smaller parties like the All India Majis e-Ittehadul Muslimeen are contesting on 17 seats.

What has made the assembly elections difficult to predict this time is not just the split in the two parties but also the presence of rebel candidates in more than 100 constituencies. To make it more interesting, there are 2,086 independents in the fray.