The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday announced the schedule for the upcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra. As per the schedule, voting in Maharashtra will take place in a single phase on November 20, while results will be announced on November 23.
Gazette notification will be issued on October 22 (Tuesday). The last date of making nominations is October 29 (Tuesday), while the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is October 30 (Wednesday).
Maharashtra: Date of Polling
Maharashtra will vote in a single phase on November 20.
Maharashtra: Date of Counting
The counting of votes will take place on November 23, and results will be declared the same day.
What happened in the 2019 Assembly Polls
In 2019, the BJP, which contested with undivided Shiv Sena, emerged as the single largest party, winning 105 seats. The party maintained its dominance in Western Maharashtra, Mumbai, and Vidarbha, but its performance fell short of expectations, making it difficult to form the government alone. Shiv Sena, contesting as the BJP's partner, won 56 seats, doing well in Mumbai, the Konkan belt, and parts of Marathwada.
On the other hand, the UPA alliance surprised many with its resurgence. The NCP, under the leadership of Sharad Pawar, made an impressive comeback, bagging 54 seats — a majority of them from Western Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the Congress secured 44 seats, performing well in regions like Vidarbha and North Maharashtra. Smaller parties and independent candidates captured 29 seats.
MVA's Gain in 2024 Lok Sabha Polls
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—comprising Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s NCP—secured a majority of seats in Maharashtra. The MVA alliance won 30 of the 48 seats. In contrast, the NDA, led by the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction and Ajit Pawar's NCP, secured 17 seats, a significant drop from their 2019 performance.