The Election Commission of India has announced the much awaited Maharashtra Assembly Election dates is scheduled to take place on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23. The tenure of the 288-member Maharashtra assembly is ending on November 26th this year. The Maharashtra election is expected to witness a two-way fight between the ruling Mahayuti Alliance of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP,) Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde and NCP-Ajit Pawar and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP - Sharad Pawar and the Congress.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra has reached a consensus for 230 out of the total 288 assembly seats in the state, as per NCP's Praful Patel. Patel said, "We have reached a consensus on 225 to 230-235 seats. Once the other seats are finalised, we will let you know in the next 2-4 days."As per reports, the BJP is likely to fight on anywhere between 140-150 seats, the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena could contest 80 seats and the NCP may contest 55 seats. Moreover, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in the state has reached an agreement on 210 out of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, as per Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut.
Raut added that the MVA will also declare its list of candidates soon. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday said that the MVA will fight on all 288 seats and will form the government in Maharashtra.The Maharashtra election was initially expected to coincide with those in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Election Commission decided to separate the schedules. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained that additional security forces was required in Jammu and Kashmir, as directed by the Supreme Court, which made it feasible to hold only two elections simultaneously. The BJP scripted history in Haryana by winning the state for the third record straight term.The National Conference-Congress alliance won the Jammu and Kashmir polls. The chief ministers of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir will be sworn in this week.