Maharashtra 2024 Assembly Elections: Top 5 Key Battles to Watch

Maharashtra is preparing for a big political showdown on November 19 to elect a new 288-member assembly.

The election has attracted national attention, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress competing to be the largest party, alongside their allies.

Leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi have been campaigning across the state.

Out of the 288 seats, 234 are in the general category, 29 for Scheduled Castes (SC), and 25 for Scheduled Tribes (ST). After 2,938 nominations were withdrawn, 4,140 candidates remain in the race.

Here are the five key constituencies to watch:

1. Worli (Mumbai)

Worli will see a three-way fight between:

- Milind Deora from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, a former MP.

- Aaditya Thackeray from Shiv Sena (UBT), who won this seat in 2019 by a large margin.

- Sandeep Deshpande from MNS, known for his focus on local issues like infrastructure.

Deora is hoping to appeal to urban voters, Aaditya is popular for his pandemic response, and Sandeep has a loyal Marathi-speaking base.

2. Baramati

In Baramati, **Ajit Pawar**, the current deputy CM, faces a challenge from **Yugendra Pawar**, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar has won this seat for seven terms, while Yugendra is making his political debut with support from his uncle, Sharad Pawar.

3. Vandre East (Mumbai)

In Vandre East, Zeeshan Siddique is up against Varun Sardesai, nephew of Uddhav Thackeray.

- Zeeshan, known for his work with young voters and the Muslim community, may get sympathy votes after his father’s death.

- Varun has strong backing from Shiv Sena (UBT) and aims to keep the party’s traditional support in the area.

4. Nagpur South West

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is aiming for a fourth term in Nagpur South West. He has represented the seat since 2009 and has a strong support base. His rival, Praful Gudadhe from Congress, may gain support from voters dissatisfied with BJP’s governance.

5. Kopri-Pachpakhadi (Thane)

In Thane’s Kopri-Pachpakhadi, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faces Kedar Dighe, the nephew of his late political mentor, Anand Dighe. Shinde’s political rise has been tied to Dighe’s legacy, and the election will reflect their influence in local politics.

These constituencies will be key in deciding Maharashtra’s political future as voters head to the polls on November 19.