Introduction:
Maharashtra Is One Of The Most Populous And Economically Significant States In The Nation, Hence Its Election Is Quite Important On The Indian Political Scene. With A Focus On The Major Contenders, Issues, And Ramifications For The Political Future Of The State, This In-Depth Analysis Seeks To Explore The Nuances Of The Maharashtra Election.
Historical Background:
On 16th March 2024, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the 2024 Indian general election, with Maharashtra scheduled to vote during the first five phases on 19, 26 April, 7, 13 and 20 May.
Poll event | Phase | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | II | III | IV | V | |
Notification Date | 20 March | 28 March | 12 April | 18 April | 26 April |
Last Date for filing nomination | 27 March | 4 April | 19 April | 25 April | 3 May |
Scrutiny of nomination | 28 March | 5 April | 20 April | 26 April | 4 May |
Last Date for withdrawal of nomination | 30 March | 8 April | 22 April | 29 April | 6 May |
Date of poll | 19 April | 26 April | 7 May | 13 May | 20 May |
Date of counting of votes/Result | 4 June 2024 | ||||
No. of constituencies | 5 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
Constituencies in each phase:
Phase | Poll Date | Constituencies[3] | Voter Turnout (%) |
---|---|---|---|
I | 19 April | Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara–Gondiya, Gadchiroli–Chimur, Chandrapur | 63.71% |
II | 26 April | Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal–Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani | 62.71% |
III | 7 May | Raigad, Baramati, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri–Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Hatkanangle | |
IV | 13 May | Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, Beed | |
V | 20 May | Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai South |
Parties and alliances:
  National Democratic Alliance:
Party | Flag | Symbol | Leader | Contesting Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bharatiya Janata Party | Devendra Fadnavis | 28 | |||
Shiv Sena | Eknath Shinde | 15 | |||
Nationalist Congress Party | Sunil Tatkare | 4 | |||
Rashtriya Samaj Paksha | Mahadev Jankar | 1 | |||
Total | 48 |
  Indian National Developmental Inclusive
     Alliance:
Party | Flag | Symbol | Leader | Contesting Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shiv Sena (UBT) | Uddhav Thackeray | 21 | |||
Indian National Congress | Prithviraj Chavan | 17 | |||
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) | Supriya Sule | 10 | |||
Total | 48 |
Candidates:
Constituency | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | INDIA | ||||||
1 | Nandurbar (ST) | BJP | Heena Gavit | INC | Adv. Gowaal K Padavi | ||
2 | Dhule | BJP | Subhash Bhamre | INC | Dr. Shobha Dinesh Bachhav | ||
3 | Jalgaon | BJP | Smita Wagh | SS(UBT) | Karan Pawar | ||
4 | Raver | BJP | Raksha Khadse | NCP(SP) | Shriram Patil | ||
5 | Buldhana | SHS | Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav | SS(UBT) | Narendra Khedekar | ||
6 | Akola | BJP | Anup Dhotre | INC | Abhay Kashinath Patil | ||
7 | Amravati (SC) | BJP | Navneet Kaur Rana | INC | Balwant Basawant Wankhede | ||
8 | Wardha | BJP | Ramdas Tadas | NCP(SP) | Amar Sharadrao Kale | ||
9 | Ramtek (SC) | SHS | Raju Devnath Parwe | INC | Shyamkumar Daulat Barve | ||
10 | Nagpur | BJP | Nitin Gadkari | INC | Vikas Thakare | ||
11 | Bhandara–Gondiya | BJP | Sunil Mendhe | INC | Dr. Prashant Yadavrao Padole | ||
12 | Gadchiroli–Chimur (ST) | BJP | Ashok Nete | INC | Dr. Namdeo Dasaram Kirsan | ||
13 | Chandrapur | BJP | Sudhir Mungantiwar | INC | Pratibha Suresh Dhanorkar | ||
14 | Yavatmal–Washim | SHS | Rajashri Hemant Patil | SS(UBT) | Sanjay Deshmukh | ||
15 | Hingoli | SHS | Baburao Kadam Kohalikar | SS(UBT) | Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar | ||
16 | Nanded | BJP | Prataprao Govindrao Chikhalikar | INC | Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan | ||
17 | Parbhani | RSPS | Mahadev Jankar | SS(UBT) | Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav | ||
18 | Jalna | BJP | Raosaheb Danve | INC | Dr. Kalyan Kale | ||
19 | Aurangabad | SHS | Sandipanrao Bhumre | SS(UBT) | Chandrakant Khaire | ||
20 | Dindori (ST) | BJP | Bharati Pawar | NCP(SP) | Bhaskar Bhagare | ||
21 | Nashik | SS(UBT) | Rajabhau Waje | ||||
22 | Palghar (ST) | SS(UBT) | Bharti Kamdi | ||||
23 | Bhiwandi | BJP | Kapil Patil | NCP(SP) | Suresh Mhatre | ||
24 | Kalyan | SHS | Shrikant Shinde | SS(UBT) | Vaishali Darekar Rane | ||
25 | Thane | SHS | Naresh Mhaske | SS(UBT) | Rajan Vichare | ||
26 | Mumbai North | BJP | Piyush Goyal | INC | Bhushan Patil | ||
27 | Mumbai North West | SHS | Ravindra Waikar | SS(UBT) | Amol Kirtikar | ||
28 | Mumbai North East | BJP | Mihir Kotecha | SS(UBT) | Sanjay Dina Patil | ||
29 | Mumbai North Central | BJP | Ujjwal Nikam | INC | Varsha Gaikwad | ||
30 | Mumbai South Central | SHS | Rahul Shewale | SS(UBT) | Anil Desai | ||
31 | Mumbai South | SHS | Yamini Jadhav | SS(UBT) | Arvind Sawant | ||
32 | Raigad | NCP | Sunil Tatkare | SS(UBT) | Anant Geete | ||
33 | Maval | SHS | Shrirang Barne | SS(UBT) | Sanjog Waghere Patil | ||
34 | Pune | BJP | Murlidhar Mohol | INC | Ravindra Hemraj Dhangekar | ||
35 | Baramati | NCP | Sunetra Pawar | NCP(SP) | Supriya Sule | ||
36 | Shirur | NCP | Shivajirao Adhalarao Patil | NCP(SP) | Amol Kolhe | ||
37 | Ahmednagar | BJP | Sujay Vikhe Patil | NCP(SP) | Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke | ||
38 | Shirdi (SC) | SHS | Sadashiv Lokhande | SS(UBT) | Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure | ||
39 | Beed | BJP | Pankaja Munde | NCP(SP) | Bajrang Sonawane | ||
40 | Osmanabad | NCP | Archana Ranajagjitsinha Patil | SS(UBT) | Omprakash Rajenimbalkar | ||
41 | Latur (SC) | BJP | Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangare | INC | Dr. Shivajirao Kalge | ||
42 | Solapur (SC) | BJP | Ram Satpute | INC | Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde | ||
43 | Madha | BJP | Ranjit Naik-Nimbalkar | NCP(SP) | Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil | ||
44 | Sangli | BJP | Sanjaykaka Patil | SS(UBT) | Chandrahar Patil | ||
45 | Satara | BJP | Udayanraje Bhosale | NCP(SP) | Shashikant Shinde | ||
46 | Ratnagiri–Sindhudurg | BJP | Narayan Rane | SS(UBT) | Vinayak Raut | ||
47 | Kolhapur | SHS | Sanjay Mandlik | INC | Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj | ||
48 | Hatkanangle | SHS | Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane | SS(UBT) | Satyajeet Patil |
Surveys and polls:
Opinion polls:
Polling agency | Date published | Margin of Error | Lead | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
INDIA | NDA | Others | ||||
ABP News-CVoter | April 2024[4] | ±3-5% | 18 | 30 | 0 | NDA |
ABP News-CVoter | March 2024[5] | ±5% | 20 | 28 | 0 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | March 2024[6] | ±3% | 13 | 35 | 0 | NDA |
India Today-CVoter | February 2024[7] | ±3-5% | 26 | 22 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
ABP News-CVoter | December 2023[8] | ±3-5% | 26-28 | 19-21 | 0-2 | I.N.D.I.A. |
Times Now-ETG | December 2023[9] | ±3% | 16-20 | 27-31 | 1-2 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | October 2023[10] | ±3% | 20 | 28 | 0 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | September 2023[11] | ±3% | 16-20 | 26-30 | 1-2 | NDA |
August 2023[12] | ±3% | 15-19 | 28-32 | 1-2 | NDA | |
India Today-CVoter | August 2023[13] | ±3-5% | 28 | 20 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
Polling agency | Date published | Margin of Error | Lead | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
INDIA | NDA | Others | ||||
ABP News-CVoter | April 2024[14] | ±3-5% | 30 | 18 | 0 | NDA |
ABP News-CVoter | March 2024[5] | ±5% | 42.1% | 42.7% | 15.2% | 0.6 |
India Today-CVoter | February 2024[15] | ±3-5% | 45% | 40% | 15% | 5 |
India Today-CVoter | August 2023[13] | ±3-5% | 45% | 40% | 15% | 5 |
Maharashtra’s Political History Has Been Influenced By Numerous Socio-Cultural Elements, As Well As Significant Political Movements. The State Has Seen Tremendous Political Changes Over The Years, From The Samyukta Maharashtra Movement To The Emergence Of Regional Groups Like The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) And The Shiv Sena. It Is Essential To Comprehend This Historical Background In Order To Understand The Dynamics Of The Current Election.
Dynamics Of Elections:
The Maharashtra Elections Are Marked By Intricate Electoral Dynamics, As Numerous Political Parties Contend For Dominance Among Both Urban And Rural Voters. Voter Preferences And Electoral Outcomes Are Greatly Influenced By Factors Like Alliances, Development Objectives, Regional Desires, And Caste Dynamics.
Important Rivals:
A Number Of Significant Political Parties Are Participating In The Maharashtra Election, Including The Indian The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) And The National Congress (INC). These Parties Compete For Dominance In The State, And They Are Joined By Smaller Regional And Independent Candidates To Compose The Electoral Scene.
Shiv Sena-BJP Dynamics:
In Maharashtra Politics, The BJP-Shiv Sena Alliance Has Dominated The Political Landscape By Consistently Winning Big Electoral Victories. But There Have Also Been Times When The Relationship Has Been Strained, Especially During The 2019 State Elections When The Two Parties Ran Independent Campaigns Before Coming Together As A Post-Election Coalition.
Aspirations For The Region:
Maharashtra Is A Multi-Ethnic State With Specific Goals For Each Of Its Areas, Especially In Western Maharashtra, Vidarbha, And Marathwada. Parties Have Crafted Their Plans To Handle Issues Including Water Distribution, Autonomy, And Regional Development, Which Have Frequently Been At The Center Of Election Disputes These Worries.
Agrarian Policies And Farmer Distress:
Given The Sizeable Agricultural Industry In Maharashtra, Agrarian Distress And Farmer Welfare Have Become Hot Political Topics. Land Acquisition, Crop Failure, Drought, And Minimum Support Prices Are Just A Few Of The Issues That Have Sparked Farmer Demonstrations And Impacted Election Results. Different Political Parties Have Responded With Different Agrarian Policies And Relief Initiatives.
Urban-Rural Disparity:
The Urban-Rural Divide Is Also Evident In The Maharashtra Election, As Parties Customise Their Platforms And Advertising To Target Distinct Demographic Groups. Rural Communities Frequently Concentrate On Agriculture, Irrigation, And Rural Development Initiatives, Whereas Urban Constituents Prioritize Concerns Like Infrastructure, Employment, And Governance Reforms.
Community And Caste Factors:
Politics In Maharashtra Is Heavily Influenced By Caste And Community Factors, With Parties Attempting To Garner Support From A Variety Of Caste Groupings And Societies. The Sociological Fabric Of The State, Which Is Marked By The Existence Of Minority Populations, Obcs, Dalits, And Marathas, Affects Campaign Tactics, Candidate Selection, And Electoral Coalitions.
Economic And Industrial Development:
Maharashtra Is A Major Economic Powerhouse That Is Home To Important Financial, Commercial, And Industrial Areas. The Electoral Rhetoric Is Heavily Centered On Issues Pertaining To Industrial Growth, Investment, Job Creation, And Infrastructure Development, As Competing Parties Seek To Showcase Their Own Visions For The State’s Economic Future.
The Leadership Quotient:
In Maharashtra Elections, The Leadership Element—Embodied By Potential Chief Ministers And Party Leaders—Often Makes A Significant Difference. Voter Impressions And Electoral Outcomes Are Influenced By The Charisma, Credibility, And Record Of Leaders. Political Parties Portray Their Leaders As Capable Administrators And Change Agents.
Coalitions And Alliances In Elections:
Coalitions For Elections And Coalitions Frequently Influence Maharashtra’s Political Scene, As Parties Join Forces Before Or After Elections To Increase Their Chances Of Winning. The Characteristics Of These Coalitions, Such As Arrangements For Power And Seat Distribution, Have A Big Impact On How The Election Turns Out.
Strategies For Campaigns:
In Maharashtra, Election Results And Voter Perceptions Are Greatly Influenced By Campaign Tactics. Parties Use A Variety Of Strategies To Effectively Engage Voters And Spread Their Message, Such As Large-Scale Rallies, Door-To-Door Campaigns, Social Media Outreach, And Advertising Blitzes.
Role Of Election Commission:
For Maharashtra’s Elections To Be Free, Fair, And Transparent, The Election Commission Of India Is Essential. The Election Commission’s Supervision Guarantees The Integrity Of Everything From Candidate Nomination And Voter Registration To Polling Place Administration And Result Announcement The Election Procedure.
Governance Consequences:
The Results Of The Maharashtra Election Will Have A Big Impact On The State’s Administration, Policy-Making, And Governance. It Is The Winning Party Or Coalition’s Job To Carry Out Its Election-Related Pledges, Deal With Important Issues, And Lead The State Toward Development And Prosperity That Benefits All Citizens.
Summary:
The Dynamic Political Environment Of Maharashtra, Which Is Defined By A Variety Of Socioeconomic Considerations, Regional Aspirations, And Electoral Dynamics, Is Reflected In The State’s Election. Voters’ Choices Now, As Maharashtra Begins A New Political Adventure, Will Determine The Course Of The State For Years To Come. In Order To Navigate The Path Towards A Successful And Inclusive Maharashtra, Politicians, Experts, And Citizens Alike Must Comprehend The Subtleties Of The Electoral Process And Its Outcomes.