After two years of political turmoil in the state, Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party – the two key regional parties of the state - split into two factions each.

These factions – Shiv Sena UBT and Shinde Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar) and NCP Sharad Pawar are now going head to head for a chance to form the new state government.

READ | In This Thane Constituency, It Is Bhakt Versus Blood

For the 2024 elections, Shiv Sena led by incumbent CM Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar’s NCP has formed an alliance with the national party BJP to form the Mahayuti alliance. The Mahayuti alliance came to power following the 2022 split of Shiv Sena.

Opposing the Mahayuti alliance is the Maha Vikas Aghadi which comprises of Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray. These two factions have further teamed up with the Indian National Congress for the 2024 polls.

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With 288 seats at stake, the winning party or alliance needs a total of 145 seats to secure the majority and stake their claim to form the new government .

Maharashtra Elections 2024 – Key Seats To Watch Out For

WORLI

One of the key constituencies in Maharashtra is Worli where Aaditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT), Milind Deora (Shinde Sena) and Sandeep Deshpande (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) are contesting for the high-profile assembly seat in Mumbai.

In Worli, Aaditya Thackeray made a historic debut with 89.248 votes. The Shiv Sena candidate gained recognition for his hands-on work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Up against Thackeray is Milind Deora, former MP from South Mumbai. Deora is banking on votes from the urban middle-class voters. Sandeep Deshpande from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is also in the running.

While the voter base for Deshpande is small, the MNS Leader is known for his focus on local issues such as housing and infrastructure.

BARAMATI

Over in Baramati, it’s a Pawar vs Pawar challenge.

Sharad Pawar's grandnephew Yugendra Pawar will be challenging Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for the Baramati seat. The competition is expected to be a tough one due to Ajit Pawar;s stronghold in the constituency. The NCP leader has held the Baramati seat for seven consecutive years since 1991.

VANDRE EAST

In the Vandre East seat, Zeeshan Siddique is fighting for votes. Siddique already has support from the Muslim community but is expected to gain more due to the recent murder of his father Baba Siddique last month.

Up against Siddique is Varun Sardesai. Sardesai is the nephew of Uddhav Thackeray and since the split in 2022, Varun has managed to tap into Shiv Sena's traditional voter base.

KOPRI-PACHPAKHADI

In Kopri-Pachpakhadi, its a Sena vs Sena battle.

Incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is up against the nephew of his political mentor - Kedar Dighe.

During his political career, Shinde has cited Anand Dighe as a "guiding figure". With the contest against his nephew, Shinde is expected to maintain his stronghold in the seat, where he has been a representative since 2009.

LATUR

In Latur, its a Congress versus BJP battle. In this key constituency, Amit Deshmukh, the three-term Congress MLA and son of former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is up against Archana Patil Chakurkar, a BJP candidate and the daughter-in-law of former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar.

In this seat, the Deshmukh family, a key ally for Congress, has maintained a stronghold in the region. However, with Archana Chakurkar in the mix, its now a battle of the dynasties.

KOHLAPUR NORTH

In Kohlapur North, Rajesh Kshirsagar from Shinde Sena is up against independent candidate Rajesh Latkar, who has unofficially been backed by the Congress. In this assembly seat, Congress is in a tricky situation since its candidate Madhurimaraje Chhatrapati backed out from the race.

AHERI

The race in Aheri is one to watch. In this assembly consitituency, sitting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Dharamraobaba Aatram Bhagwantrao, representing the Ajit Pawar faction is up against his daughter Bhagyashree Dharamraobaba Aatram, who is contesting from the rival NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar,

Aheri, located in the tribal-majority Gadchiroli district, is a Scheduled Tribe (ST) constituency known for its cultural and religious diversity.

MUMBAI CITY

Across the 36 seats in Mumbai City, the key contest remains between the two Shiv Senas. The 2024 polls marked the first time Shinde Sena will be up against Shiv Sena (UBT).

Based on the Lok Sabha polls, the Shiv Sena UBT faction finished ahead and could maintain its stronghold over the region.

SHIRDI

In Shirdi, BJP's Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil is up against debutant Prabhavati Ghogare from Congress. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also rallied for Ghogare across Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Elections 2024 were held on November 20 across all 288 assembly constituencies. The Election Commission will declare the results for the state polls on November 23.