The Election Commission of India has announced that 234 out of Maharashtra’s 288 assembly seats have been allocated to the general or ‘open’ category for the upcoming elections on November 20, 2024. The state will also have 25 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 29 for Scheduled Castes (SC), while 44 seats are reserved under other categories.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar revealed the polling schedule at a press conference, noting that the state’s election will see significant participation, including 1.85 crore first-time voters. The term of the current Maharashtra Assembly, led by the Mahayuti government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ends on November 26, with the results to be declared on November 23.
The battle in Maharashtra is expected to be closely contested between the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction)—and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress. In the 2019 election, the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena had won a majority before political realignments reshaped the state’s leadership.
In addition to Maharashtra, elections will also be held in Jharkhand, where the Assembly term ends in January 2025. Voting in Jharkhand will also shape the future of the ruling JMM-Congress alliance, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, as they face a challenge from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consisting of the BJP and other regional partners.
