Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Ruling and Opposition Camps Struggle with Candidate Filings

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, October 30, 2024, New Delhi :  As the nomination process for the Maharashtra Assembly elections unfolds, a significant challenge has emerged: neither the ruling coalition nor the opposition alliances have managed to field candidates in all constituencies. With a total of 288 seats up for grabs, both the Mahajut and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances are grappling with seat-sharing disputes that have left several constituencies without major party representation.

Current reports indicate that the ruling Mahajut is contesting 284 out of 288 seats, leaving four constituencies without official candidates. Within these 284 seats, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena is taking a lead with 80 candidates, followed by the NCP led by Ajit Pawar with 52, and the BJP contesting 152 seats.

In stark contrast, the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi, is faring even worse. They have announced candidates for only 280 constituencies, meaning there are still eight vacant seats. Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena is contesting 87 seats, while the Congress is running in 103. The Samajwadi Party, another member of the coalition, has only secured three seats.

This situation raises pressing questions among political analysts regarding the implications of having no candidates from major parties in numerous constituencies. In response to inquiries, both coalitions have stated they plan to support smaller parties in these unfilled seats, yet neither has provided specifics on which partners will step in.

The ongoing disputes and lack of consensus on seat allocations have left both camps in a precarious position as they approach the election, potentially impacting their overall performance. With the election date drawing closer, the resolution of these issues will be critical for both the ruling party and the opposition as they seek to galvanize voter support.