Mumbai: The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls will be the first after a split in two parties - the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde caused a vertical split in the Shiv Sena, founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray after he and a group of MLAs joined the BJP. Shinde is currently heading the Mahayuti government, which also comprises NCP.
Similarly, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar caused a vertical split in the NCP, founded by his uncle and former Union Minister Sharad Pawar.
Following the split, the Election Commission of India allotted the name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) to the faction headed by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the Mashal symbol. The national poll body allotted the name NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) to the faction headed by Sharad Pawar and a different symbol.
The 2024 Lok Sabha poll was the first instance when Shiv Sena took on Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP took on NCP (SP). Now in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, there are 83 seats in the state where there is a direct fight between the two Shiv Sena's and the two NCP's.
Out of 288 Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, 47 constituencies will witness a direct fight between Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT) and in 36 constituencies, NCP is pitted against NCP (SP).
Out of the total 47 seats contested by the two Shiv Sena's, 16 are in the Mumbai division, 18 in the Konkan division, seven in the Marathwada division and the remaining seats are in West, North Maharashtra and Vidarbha.
The two NCPs will have a direct fight on 36 seats. Ajit Pawar-led NCP has once again fielded 35 of his existing MLAs, while the Sharad Pawa-led party has also re-nominated 15 MLAs.
There is a direct fight between the two NCPs for the prestigious Baramati seat, which has been a bastion of Ajit Pawar. This time, Ajit Pawar is pitted against his nephew Yugendra Pawar. Sharad Pawar was present when Yugendra filed his nomination papers.
In Mumbai, the two Senas are fighting each other in seats like Mahim, Byculla, Magathne, Kurla, Jogeshwari East, Andheri East, Vikhroli, Chembur, Dindoshi, Bhandup, Shivdi.
They are also pitted against each other in seats like Bhiwandi Rural, Kalyan Rural, Kalyan West, Ambernath, and Ovala Majivada.
Speaking to 'ETV Bharat', Shiv Sena spokesperson Advocate Vaijnath Waghmare, said, "The real Shiv Sena belongs to Eknath Shinde. Even though we were a little behind in the Lok Sabha elections, there is no doubt that we will have a strong victory in the Assembly elections. Since Ajit Pawar joined the government, the formula of seat-sharing was changed."
