Maharashtra Election 2024: Political alliances, parties, direct fights - all you need to know

Maharashtra is gearing up for a highly competitive electoral battle in the 2024 assembly elections, marked by the presence of multi-cornered contests and major coalitions aiming to secure dominance. The two main alliances, Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are set to lock horns while other political forces such as Raj Thackeray’s MNS, Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM are striving for impactful gains in battleground Maharashtra.

Mahayuti vs MVA: Key alliances in the fray

The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On the other side, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) consists of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP), and the Peasants and Workers Party of India.

Within the Mahayuti, the BJP is contesting the highest number of seats at 148, followed by Shinde’s Shiv Sena with 85 seats and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction with 55. The MVA lineup has Congress fielding candidates in 102 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) in 94, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) in 85. The SP has nominated candidates for nine seats, while the Peasants and Workers Party of India is contesting four.

MNS, BSP, VBA: Third-Party Players

In addition to the main alliances, other parties like Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) could influence outcomes in certain constituencies. The MNS is contesting 135 seats, the BSP is fielding candidates in all 288 constituencies, and the VBA is contesting 110 seats.

Smaller but notable parties also include the Mahadev Jankar-led Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP), Chandrashekhar Azad’s Azad Samaj Party, and Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). The RSP is running in 151 seats, Azad’s party in 40, and AIMIM in 16.

Congress vs. BJP: Head-to-Head in 75 Seats

The BJP and Congress are set for direct contests in 75 out of the 288 assembly constituencies. Most of these direct battles will occur in Vidarbha, where they will clash in 47 seats, followed by 32 in western Maharashtra, 17 in northern Maharashtra, 19 in Marathwada, and 33 in the Konkan region, which includes Mumbai and Thane.

In the 2019 elections, the Congress and BJP faced off in 66 seats. Of these, Congress managed to secure only 16, while the BJP claimed 50. Specifically, in Vidarbha, the two parties were in direct competition in 31 seats, with the Congress winning eight and the BJP taking 23. The current election cycle sees both parties revisiting these contested territories. Both state party presidents — Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the BJP and Vijay Wedattiwar for Congress — hail from the Vidarbha region, adding significance to this contest.

In Mumbai, which holds 36 assembly seats, the BJP and Congress competed in 12 seats during the 2019 elections, with Congress securing victory in just one. Northern Maharashtra saw six head-to-head contests, where Congress won two. In Marathwada, the two parties faced off in 10 seats, and Congress emerged victorious in only three.

Sena vs. Sena in 47 seats 

Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena are in direct contests in 47 seats. Mumbai, the epicenter of Sena politics, is witnessing significant clashes. The Shinde-led faction has fielded former Union Minister Milind Deora against Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray in the key constituency of Worli. Aaditya also faces competition from Sandeep Deshpande of the MNS, led by his estranged uncle Raj Thackeray. The Uddhav faction is countering Shinde's candidacy in Kopri Pachpakhadi in Thane, by nominating Kedar Dighe, nephew of the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe, a mentor to Shinde. 

NCP vs. NCP: Family feuds in 38 seats

Ajit Pawar’s NCP and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) are competing with each other in 38 seats. All eyes will be in Western Maharashtra, where both sides are taking on each other in 20 seats. A marquee battle is set in Baramati, a traditional stronghold of the Pawar family. Here, Ajit Pawar will face his nephew Yugendra Pawar. Ajit has held the Baramati seat since 1991, which makes it a prestige battle for him. 

Three of the NCP versus NCP battles are taking place in Nashik district. Among these, the Yeola constituency stands out, with OBC leader and state Cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal is up against Maratha leader Manikrao Shinde of the NCP (SP). This matchup is particularly significant given the ongoing Maratha-OBC polarisation due to reservation-related issues.

In other regions, including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Konkan coast, central Marathwada, and eastern Vidarbha, there are just five seats where the two NCP factions will directly compete.