Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will begin his assembly election campaign in Mumbai on the auspicious occasion of Bhai Dooj on Sunday. According to party insiders, Shinde is expected to address two campaign rallies on the same day.
His first rally will be held in Kurla East to support Shiv Sena candidate Mangesh Kudalkar, followed by a second rally in Andheri East for Shiv Sena candidate Murji Patel. These rallies mark the start of a focused election effort by Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena as they prepare for the upcoming state assembly elections.
Both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are intensifying their campaign activities across Maharashtra. The Mahayuti alliance consists of the BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar.
In contrast, the MVA includes the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), the Congress, and the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar. With the elections drawing near, both alliances are gearing up to contest all 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra.
In support of the Mahayuti alliance’s campaign, the BJP has announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold a series of rallies across the state from November 8 to November 14.
Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule shared that Modi will address gatherings in key locations, including Dhule and Nashik on November 8, Akola and Nanded on November 9, and Chandrapur, Chimur, Solapur, and Pune on November 12. On November 14, he concluded his campaign with rallies in Sambhajinagar, Navi Mumbai, and Mumbai. Modi’s involvement is expected to significantly boost the Mahayuti campaign efforts ahead of the November 20 elections.
Among the closely watched constituencies in Maharashtra, Baramati is likely to be a highlight due to the anticipated family contest between NCP leader Ajit Pawar and his nephew, Yugendra Pawar.
This inter-family rivalry follows another high-profile battle in Baramati, which took place during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In that race, Supriya Sule of the NCP defeated Sunetra Pawar by a margin of 1.5 lakh votes. With Ajit Pawar and Yugendra Pawar set to face off in Baramati, the constituency will once again attract significant attention.
The Maharashtra assembly election will be conducted in a single phase on November 20, and vote counting is scheduled for November 23. In the previous 2019 assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the leading party with 105 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 56, and the Congress with 44. Comparatively, in the 2014 assembly elections, the BJP won 122 seats, while the Shiv Sena secured 63, and the Congress held 42.
Follow us
