The Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 have kicked off with much anticipation today (November 20). Raymond Group Chairman and Managing Director Gautam Singhania was among the early voters in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, casting his vote on Wednesday, November 20.
Speaking to PTI after casting his vote, Gautam Singhania said, "I have talked to a lot of people and everybody seems to be coming out. So, please come out and cast your vote as it is your fundamental right."
Maharashtra Votes - The Current Scene
Polling for all 288 assembly constituencies began at 7 AM and will continue until 6 PM on Wednesday.
By 11 AM, Maharashtra had recorded a voter turnout of 18.14 per cent. The state’s legislative assembly includes 234 general seats, 29 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), and 25 for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Exit polls are expected to be released after 6:30 PM, giving citizens a slight glimpse into possible outcomes.
The Battle Between Alliances
This year’s elections with a high-stakes battle between two prominent coalitions are as follows:
The BJP-led Mahayuti Alliance - Comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) - Includes Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction.
Glimpses from the Past - 2019 Versus 2014
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party securing 105 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 56 and Congress with 44.
Meanwhile, in the 2014 elections, the number were a but different with BJP securing a 122 seats, Shiv Sena at 63, and Congress at 42.
The question remains: will these numbers shift dramatically this time, or will the status quo prevail?
