Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to ramp up the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) election campaign in Maharashtra with a series of rallies planned from November 5 to November 14. During this period, PM Modi will tour various regions of the state, supporting candidates from the BJP and its allies under the Mahayuti alliance, ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Campaign Focus
PM Modi’s rallies will bolster the NDA’s efforts to retain power in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in alliance with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is campaigning vigorously to hold onto its political stronghold.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections
The elections are scheduled for a single phase on November 20, with the counting of votes taking place on November 23. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is facing stiff competition from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which includes the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction). The MVA, which dominated the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra by winning 31 out of 48 seats, is aiming to replicate that success in the assembly polls.
2019 Election Recap
In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, securing 105 of the 288 seats. The Shiv Sena won 56 seats, while the NCP and Congress won 54 and 44 seats, respectively. Other smaller parties and independent candidates also made their mark, collectively influencing the political landscape.
The upcoming elections will test the strength of both alliances as they vie for control of one of India’s most politically significant states.
