Mumbai: Voting began in 288 seats for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 on Wednesday morning, sounding the bugle for an intense electoral battle between the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The Mahayuti comprises of parties such as the BJP, NCP led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. On the other hand, the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprises of Congress, NCP-SP led by Sharad Pawar and the Shiv Sena UBT led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray.
The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) 81, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) 59. Meanwhile, Congress has fielded candidates in 101 constituencies, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) 86. BSP has also entered the fray, contesting 237 seats. The state has a huge voter base of approximately 9.7 crore.
At 10:30 AM
Sharad Pawar Defends Supriya Sule On 'Bitcoin Scam' Allegations
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) chief and veteran leader Sharad Pawar has defended Supriya Sule over allegations of 'bicoin scam' against her.
"The person who made the allegations was in jail for several months and taking that person along and making false allegations, only BJP can do this," said Pawar.
Former IPS officer ravindra Patil has accused Sule of 'bitcoin scam'. The allegation is being played up by leaders from the Mahayuti.
At 10:20 AM
Union Minister Piyush Goyal Casts Vote
Union minister Piyush Goyal exercised his franchise in Mumbai along with his family.
At 9:50 AM
Actor couple Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza cast their votes in Latur. Riteish Deshmukh is son of former Maharashtra CM Late Vilasrao Deshmukh. Riteish's brothers Amit Deshmukh and Dhiraj Deshmukh are active in politics.
At 9:35 AM
Maharashtra Voter Turnout As Of 9 AM
Maharashtra- 6.61%
Mumbai City - 6.25%
Mumbai Suburban - 7.88%
At 9:20 AM
Sharad Pawar Casts His Vote
NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar cast his vote at a polling station in Baramati for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.
At 9:00 AM
Nawab Malik Casts Vote In Mumbai, Urges People To Step Out & Vote
NCP leader and candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Nawab Malik cast his vote today morning. Malik then urged people to step out and vote saying, "I exercised my franchise today. My family is also voting. I urge people to step out of their houses in large numbers and vote, and elect an MLA of their choice."
NCP (SP) candidate from Baramati constituency Yugendra Pawar cast his vote earlier today morning.
At 8:55 AM
Sachin Tendulkar Casts Vote In Mumbai
Former Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, his wife and their daughter cast their votes at a polling station in Mumbai
At 8:30 AM
NCP candidate from Vandre East constituency Zeeshan Siddiqui cast his vote in Mumbai.
Supriya Sule Casts Vote With Family
NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule along with her family showed their inked fingers after casting a vote for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024. NCP has fielded Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and NCP-SCP has fielded Yugendra Pawar from the Baramati Assembly constituency.
At 8:25 AM
Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra Casts His Vote In Colaba
Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, S. Chockalingam cast his vote for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, at the polling booth in Sachivalay Gymkhana, under Colaba constituency.
At 8:15 AM
Shiv Sena's Shaina NC Casts Her Vote In Mumbai
Shiv Sena candidate from Mumbadevi seat, Shaina NC and her daughter Shanaya Munot showed their inked fingers after casting their votes for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.
She then urged Mumbaikars to vote and said, "I want to appeal to my Mumbaikars to come out and cast their votes. You can raise if you cast your votes, you can criticise if you cast your votes. I have the blessings of Maa Mumba Devi. I hope people will give me a chance to work for the truth with full accountability and transparency..."
At 8:00AM
BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani Casts His Vote
BMC Commissioner and District Election Officer Bhushan Gagrani showed his inked finger after casting his vote for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.
At 7:55 AM
Actor Akshay Kumar Casts His Vote In Mumbai
Actor Akshay Kumar cast his vote at a polling station in Mumbai earlier today. He also praised the arrangements at the polling station and urged everyone to vote. "The best thing is that the arrangements are very good. I can see that arrangements for senior citizens are very good and cleanliness has been maintained. Everyone should come and vote because that is the most important thing," said Kumar.
At 7:50 AM
Mumbai Suburban Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar Casts His Vote
Mumbai Suburban Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar cast his vote today morning. After casting his vote, Kshirsagar said, "I have cast my vote, and I appeal to everyone to vote as well. Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra"
Watch: Mumbai Suburban Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar cast his vote and says, "I have cast my vote, and I appeal to everyone to vote as well. Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra"
— IANS (@ians_india)
At 7:35 AM
PM Modi Urges Voters To Participate In Polling With Full Enthusiasm
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged voters in Maharashtra to participate in the polls with full enthusiasm and enhance the splendour of the festival of democracy.
In a post on X, he appealed to the women and young voters to poll in large numbers.
At 7:30 AM
AJit Pawar Hopes People Of Baramati Will Make Him Victorious
Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP candidate from Baramati Assembly constituency Ajit Pawar cast his vote today morning. While speaking to the media outside the polling booth, Pawar said, "Even during Lok Sabha, members of our family were contesting against each other and everyone has seen that. I tried to meet everyone in Baramati. I am hopeful that this time the people of Baramati will make me victorious..."
When asked about money distribution allegations against Vinod Tawde, he said, "The people of Baramati will think about it..."
At 7:25 AM
Mumbai BJP president and candidate from Bandra West assembly constituency, Ashish Shelar cast his vote at a polling station in St. Stanislaus High School of Bandra in Mumbai.
At 7:15 AM
Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan Casts His Vote
Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan cast his vote at the polling booth at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, under Colaba Assembly constituency.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Casts Vote In Nagpur
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat showed his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling booth in Nagpur for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.
At 7:00 AM
Voting for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections commenced on Wednesday at 7 am, covering all 288 constituencies in a single phase. With 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents, competing for seats, the election has set the stage for an intense political battle.
Prominent Candidates In Electoral Battle
High-profile leaders are contesting pivotal seats. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is running from Kopri-Pachpakhadi, while Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is aiming for a sixth consecutive win from Nagpur South-West. Congress state chief Nana Patole is contesting from Sakoli, and NCP leader Ajit Pawar is defending his Baramati seat against his grandnephew, Yungendra Pawar, representing NCP (Sharad Pawar).
This election is significant as it marks the first major political contest in Assembly polls following the splits in Shiv Sena and NCP. The ruling Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), currently holds 202 seats in the 288-member assembly. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), controls 69 seats.
Everything At Stake For Major Political Parties
For Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, the election is an opportunity to reclaim political ground after losing power in 2022. Thackeray aims to assert himself as the legitimate heir to Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. On the other hand, Chief Minister Shinde has gained traction through welfare initiatives under the Mahayuti government, setting up a fierce rivalry.
The NCP split has added another layer of complexity. Ajit Pawar, now part of the ruling alliance, seeks to bolster his position, while his uncle, Sharad Pawar, is determined to preserve his political stature. Congress, recovering from setbacks in recent polls, is banking on a strong performance to re-establish itself in the state.
Over 70 constituencies are witnessing direct contests between the BJP and Congress, with the results of these seats likely to determine government formation. The 36 seats in Mumbai and its suburbs are particularly critical, with some of the fiercest contests expected there.
Vote Counting On November 23
Votes will be counted on November 23, alongside the results of Jharkhand assembly elections and bypolls in 48 assembly and two Lok Sabha seats.
