The Maharashtra elections to be held on November 20 will see a friendly contest between allies of Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on 29 out of 288 assembly seats. However, friendly competition for the MVA is more complicated, especially when smaller parties that are part of the India Bloc are also involved.
Ruling grand alliance allies BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress will contest together on six seats – Mankhurd Shivajinagar (Mumbai), Ashti (Beed), Sindhkhed Raja (Buldhana), Katol (Nagpur), Morshi ( Amravati), Dindori (Nashik), Shrirampur (Ahmednagar) and Purandar (Pune).
The opposition alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress will be involved in such a face-off in 21 assembly constituencies. A key contest will be held in Nanded North seat, where Congress’ Abdul Ghafoor is in the fray along with Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sangeeta Patil. In most constituencies, the MVA is contesting the elections with candidates fielded by allies Bharatiya Kisan and Shramik Party (PWPI), Samajwadi Party and the Left parties.
Samajwadi Party has fielded eight candidates and will contest with Congress on six seats, including Bhiwandi West (Thane), Tuljapur (Dharashiv), Aurangabad East (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Malegaon Central (Nashik) and Paranda (Dharashiv). NCP will contest with SP, and Shiv Sena will contest with UBT on Dhule city assembly seats.
PWPI has fielded candidates on 14 seats and is contesting with Shiv Sena (UBT) in Sangole, Loha, Pen, Uran, Ausa, Malegaon Outer and Panvel and NCP (SP) in Katol. A PWPI leader said that they have sought six seats where they are in serious contest. “However, despite our strong presence in these constituencies, bigger parties have fielded candidates,” he said.
The leader said the party will have to field candidates wherever it has influence as it has to meet the electoral criteria of getting the desired number of votes. Asked about the possibility of the alliance making a dent in the votes, he said, “It will happen. But what can we do? We asked for seats from the bigger parties, but they remained adamant.”
In an interview earlier this year, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi said that Maha Vikas Aghadi should have fought the elections as a united front, but it did not even call his party for talks. “They (MVA) think that they can win the elections on their own strength, and we (SP) have no need,” he said.
In Solapur City Central, there will be a contest between CPM’s Narsaya Adam and Congress, while in Wani constituency, CPI’s Hepat and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Derkar are in the fray. In Mahayuti, Shiv Sena and NCP are having a friendly contest in Purandar, Dindori, Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Sindkhedraja and Srirampur. NCP and BJP will contest in Katol, Morshi and Ashti.
