
Following a second-place finish in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the ruling alliance plans to approach the upcoming state assembly elections with a distinctive strategy. Scheduled for September-October this year, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance intends to contest without designating a Chief Ministerial candidate, opting instead for a collective leadership model. This decision marks a significant shift, diminishing the prominence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured 17 seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance won 30. For the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the BJP aims to field over 160 candidates. The Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP, will not highlight a single chief ministerial face.
Conversely, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, under the INDIA coalition, consists of the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). The upcoming elections will present a direct contest between the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances.
Ajit Pawar’s NCP, which struggled in the recent Lok Sabha polls, has confirmed its participation in the upcoming elections as part of the Mahayuti alliance, ending speculation about potential defections to Sharad Pawar’s faction.
Following the Lok Sabha results, the BJP has intensified efforts to broaden its voter base, highlighted by a significant victory in recent MLC elections where all five BJP candidates, including Pankaja Munde, won. The Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP each fielded two candidates, all of whom were successful.
The current political landscape in Maharashtra is marked by the division of regional parties into two factions each, leading to a unique electoral environment. The recent MLC elections are seen as a precursor to the forthcoming assembly polls, where both alliances are expected to fiercely contest for dominance.