Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Key dates and time for voting, exit polls, and results

The stage is set for polling in Maharashtra assembly elections after weeks of campaigning from the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The election campaign, which saw top national and regional leaders crisscrossing the state to garner votes for their candidates, ended on Monday as mandated by the Election Commission of India.

Since the model code of conduct came into force in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and states holding by-polls, the Election Commission (EC) cracked down on inducements and seized over ₹1000 crore worth of cash, liquor, drugs, and freebies. In Maharashtra alone, over ₹660 crore worth of inducements was seized by enforcement agencies under the poll panel.

The political dynamics have completely changed in Maharashtra since the last assembly polls when the BJP and its oldest ally Shiv Sena contested against the alliance of Congress and Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The pre-poll alliance between Shiv Sena and the BJP fell apart over the chief minister post, leading to the formation of an unlikely MVA comprising Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena. While poll pundits believed that the alliance wouldn’t last longer, not many could predict the reason behind its collapse – a vertical split in Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, who resigned as Maharashtra chief minister in June 2022 ahead of the floor test.

Shinde joined hands with the BJP and became the next chief minister of the NDA government. The ECI later recognised Shinde’s faction as the real Shiv Sena.

A year later, NCP leader Ajit Pawar led a similar rebellion against the party chief and his uncle Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar’s faction was recognised by the ECI as the real NCP and the faction led by NCP founder Sharad Pawar had to come up with a new name and symbol. Ajit Pawar and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who served as the Maharashtra CM from 2014-2019, are now deputies to Shinde under the Mahayuti government.

So this time, the alliance of Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SP) and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) are up against the Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is contesting 149 assembly seats while its allies Shiv Sena and NCP have fielded candidates on 81 and 59 seats, respectively.

The Congress party has fielded candidates in 101 assembly constituencies while its allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have put up candidates in 95 and 86 constituencies, respectively.

Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has also fielded 17 candidates for the 288-member assembly.

The number of candidates has increased by 28% from the last assembly election in Maharashtra, thanks to more parties and a greater number of rebel candidates. Rebels are in the fray in over 150 constituencies, with candidates from the Mahayuti and MVA contesting against their party's official nominees, reported PTI. In the 2019 elections, 3,239 candidates were in the fray. This time, 4,136 candidates have thrown their hat in the political ring.

The number of registered voters in Maharashtra has increased to 96,369,410, up from 89,446,211 in 2019. An election official said this rise is due to special enrolment drives focused on younger and first-time voters. The number of first-time voters, aged 18-19, is now 20,93,206, he said. Among the total electorate, 1,243,192 voters are over the age of 85, with 47,716 centenarians. The official said there will be 100,186 polling booths across the state, compared to 96,654 in the 2019 assembly elections.

The 288 assembly seats will go to the polls in a single phase on November 20, 2024. The voting will commence at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm.

The pollsters will release their exit poll results after the voting ends in the 288 assembly constituencies. The Election Commission has prohibited the publishing or publicising of exit poll results for the ongoing assembly elections and by-polls till 6.30 pm on November 20. The pollsters, television news channels, and digital publications will start releasing the exit poll results from 6.30 pm.

The votes for the Maharashtra assembly elections will be counted on November 23.