The time for Maharashtra State Assembly elections is here and people have begun arriving at polling booths to cast their votes. The voting process will continue from 7 am to 6 pm on Wednesday.Voters in Maharashtra are heading for a single-phase election in which the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance faces a high-stake contest against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).Mumbai and Pune, the state’s two major cities, hold significant sway in the election, with 36 seats in Mumbai and 21 in Pune up for grabs. Interestingly, five seats in Mumbai and seven in Pune are considered “swing seats” – constituencies with unpredictable voter allegiances, making them the key battlegrounds to watch.

What Are Swing Seats?In the US, there is a concept of swing states which refers to electoral districts that do not consistently vote for the same political party across elections. These seats are highly competitive, with voting outcomes often decided by small margins. There are a total of seven swing states in the US and it is said that these decide who the President of the USA will be. This year, Donald Trump swept all the seven states.Similarly, there are a few assembly seats in Mumbai and Pune that have shown a change of choice in the last two and in some cases, three state polls.To understand this better, here is a breakdown of the winning candidates and their respective parties for each of these constituencies over the past three terms. The pattern reveals a change in representation in almost every term, making them “swing seats.” Mumbai

• Dahisar

- 2009: Vinodramchandra Ghosalkar - Shiv Sena - 2014: Manisha Ashok Chaudhary - BJP - 2019: Manisha Ashok Chaudhary - BJP

• Chandivali

- 2009: Mohd. Arif Khan (Naseem) - Congress - 2014: Mohd. Arif Khan (Naseem) - Congress - 2019: Dilip Bhausaheb Lande - Shiv Sena

• Anushakti Nagar

- 2009: Nawab Malik - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - 2014: Tukaram Ramkrishna Kate - Shiv Sena - 2019: Nawab Malik - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

• Wadala

- 2009: Kalidas Nilkanth Kolambkar - Congress - 2014: Kalidas Nilkanth Kolambkar - Congress - 2019: Kalidas Nilkanth Kolambkar - BJP

• Byculla

- 2009: Madhukarbalkrishna Chavan (Anna) - Congress - 2014: Advocate Waris Yusuf Pathan - AIMIM - 2019: Yamini Yashwant Jadhav - Shiv Sena

• Vandre East

- 2009: Prakash (Bala) Vasant Sawant - Shiv Sena - 2014: Prakash (Bala) Vasant Sawant - Shiv Sena - 2019: Zeeshan Baba Siddique - Congress Pune

• Junnar

- 2009: Vallabh Dattaray Benake - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - 2014: Sharaddada Bhimaji Sonavane - Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) - 2019: Atul Vallabh Benke - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

• Khed Alandi

- 2009: Dilip Dattatray Mohite - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - 2014: Suresh Namdeo Gore - Shiv Sena - 2019: Dilip Dattatray Mohite - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

• Shirur

- 2009: Ashok Raosaheb Pawar - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - 2014: Baburao Kashinath Pacharne - BJP - 2019: Ashok Raosaheb Pawar - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

• Daund

- 2009: Rameshrao Kisan Thorat - Independent - 2014: Rahul Subhashrao Kul - Rashtriya Samaj Paksha - 2019: Adv. Rahul Subhashrao Kul - BJP

• Purandar

- 2009: Vijay Sopanrao Shivtare - Shiv Sena - 2014: Vijay Sopanrao Shivtare - Shiv Sena - 2019: Sanjay Chandukaka Jagtap - Congress

• Maval

- 2009: Bala alias Sanjay Vishwanath Bhegade - BJP - 2014: Sanjay (Bala) Vishwanath Bhegade - BJP - 2019: Sunil Shankarrao Shelke - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

• Pimpri

- 2009: Anna Bansode - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - 2014: Adv. Gautam Sukhdeo Chabukswar - Shiv Sena - 2019: Anna Dadu Bansode - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

• Vadgaon Sheri

- 2009: Bapusaheb Tukaram Pathare - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - 2014: Jagdish Tukaram Muluk - BJP - 2019: Sunil Vijay Tingre - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

• Hadapsar

- 2009: Mahadeo Ramchandra Babar - Shiv Sena - 2014: Yogesh Kundalik Tilekar - BJP - 2019: Chetan Vitthal Tupe - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)