Maharashtra Election: Battle between two coalitions seeking power

The Assembly Election polls in Maharashtra will be taking place on Monday that will elect state representatives in 288 constituencies for forming the next government. The state is witnessing two major coalitions, 'Mahayuti' of BJP-Shiv Sena and 'Maha-agadhi' led by the Congress and the NCP. 

CM Devendra Fadnavis seeking a second term

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is seeking for a second term, BJP is contesting 164 seats, which includes candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while its ally Shiv Sena has fielded 126 candidates. On the other hand, Congress has its candidates in 147 constituencies and NCP will contest 121 seats. Raj Thackeray's MNS has fielded 101 candidates while the CPI and CPM have 16 and 8 candidates each. 

According to reports, CM Fadnavis is seeking re-election from Nagpur South-West seat and will face Congress, Ashish Deshmukh. Congress leader and former Chief Minister, Prithviraj Chavan is pitted against BJP's Atulbaba Bhosale in Karad South. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray, who is the first member of the Thackeray family to contest, is making his electoral debut from Worli Assembly seat in Mumbai. NCP's strongman and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is contesting from his family bastion of Baramati where BJP's Gopichand Padalkar will challenge him. Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Vijay Namdeorao Wadettiwar is contesting from Brahmapuri seat and is pitted against Sandeep Wamanrao Gaddamwar of Shiv Sena and Aam Aadmi Party's Paromita Prangopal Goswami. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Bachhu Patil is seeking his election from Kothrud while the party's Mumbai president Mangal Prabhat Lodha is pitted against Congress' Hira Navaji Devas in Malabar Hill. 

In Maharashtra, a total of 8,98,39,600 people, including 4,28,43,635 women, are eligible to vote. As many as 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are contesting in 288 seats and 96,661 polling booths are in place with 6.5 lakh staff for the voting exercise. Counting will commence on October 24. 

(With agency inputs)

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