Mumbai - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the party contesting the most seats in Maharashtra's upcoming assembly elections, fielding candidates in 152 constituencies for the 288-member assembly. As nominations closed on October 29, the electoral landscape has taken clear shape with major alliances finalizing their seat-sharing arrangements.
In the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena is contesting 80 seats, while Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's NCP has fielded candidates in 52 constituencies. Five seats have been allocated to other Mahayuti allies, with decisions pending on two segments.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has distributed seats among its constituents, with Congress contesting 102 seats, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) fighting on 96, and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) competing in 87 constituencies.
The Election Commission reported that 7,995 candidates have filed 10,905 nominations for the November 20 polls, marking a significant increase from 2019 when 5,543 nominations were received. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on October 30, with November 4 set as the last date for withdrawal of candidatures.
The assembly elections, scheduled for November 20, will see vote counting three days later. This election marks a significant shift from the 2019 polls, which were contested with undivided Shiv Sena and NCP parties.
