Maharashtra Opinion Poll: BJP's projected edge over Cong in Shirpur

The Shirpur seat in Dhule district will see a tough contest between the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The seat which has been Congress' stronghold since 1990 will compete against the BJP, which has witnessed a gradual increase in its vote bank in Shirpur. However, the BJP had witnessed a downfall in its vote margin as it only received around 24,000 votes in 2014 as compared to 60,000 it received in 2004. The Shirpur constituency is also one of the seats reserved under the Scheduled Tribe (ST).

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Jan Ki Baat's Opinion Poll 

Jan Ki Baat's Opinion Poll suggests that BJP's Kashiram Vechan Pawara might have a slight edge over the Congress to win the Shirpur seat. The 2019 assembly polls might also witness Congress lose its stronghold seat after 35 years. 

Kashiram Vechan Pawara from the Indian National Congress had won the previous assembly elections in 2014 with 98,114 votes by defeating BJP's Dr Jitendra Yuvraj Thakur. Pawara bagged his second consecutive win after registering a dominating victory in the Shirpur Assembly seat in Dhule district. However, 2019 might see a turn of tables, as sitting MP Kashiram Vechan Pawara joined the BJP ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections. The 2019 assembly elections in Shirpur will see Pawara from BJP locking horns with Congress' Ranjeet Bharat Singh Pawra for the Shirpur seat.

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Maharashtra Assembly Elections 

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are set to be held on October 21 with the results scheduled to be announced on October 24. The state of Haryana will also witness its state elections on the same date. The Maharashtra Assembly Elections will also see BJP and Shiv Sena come together to contest as an alliance despite certain differences between the parties. Sena's Aaditya Thackeray, who is set to contest the polls from Mumbai's Worli constituency will be the first member of the Thackeray family contesting the elections. 

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