Maharashtra Elections 2024 Highlights: BJP-led Mahayuti alliance vying to retain power, MVA hoping to make comeback on Nov 20

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray took a “note jihad” jibe amid allegations of a senior BJP leader distributing money hours before voting for the Maharashtra polls.

BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde has been accused of distributing cash to voters in Palghar by regional outfit Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), an allegation denied by Tawde and the BJP.

Thackeray demanded strict action by the Election Commission of India, stating that merely registering a case against Tawde won’t suffice.

“Is this BJP’s note jihad (for votes)? ‘Baatenge aur jitenge’ (will distribute cash to win). Entire Maharashtra has seen it (a video showing bundles of cash). Maharashtra will decide tomorrow,” Thackeray told reporters, taking a swipe at the ‘Batenge toh Katenge’ (divided we fall) slogan raised by BJP leaders and “vote Jihad” claims.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had appealed to voters in public meetings to counter “vote jihad” with Dharmayuddha of votes.

“Tawde was lauded for toppling governments in some states and helping to form new ones. Now the secret behind this has come out in the open, Thackeray said.

Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) leader Hitendra Thakur accused senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde of distributing money to voters in a constituency in Palghar district. The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations, calling them a publicity stunt and claiming that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was making such claims as they anticipated defeat. A video purportedly showing a confrontation between Tawde and BVA leaders and workers has surfaced on social media.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve accused Shiv Sena workers of offering cash for voter IDs in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. Speaking at a press conference, Danve claimed that Shiv Sena and BJP members were paying Rs 1,000-2,000 to poor people in exchange for their voter IDs, allegedly inking their fingers as well.

He also criticised the police for not acting on complaints and suggested they were assisting the ruling party’s candidate. Danve also mentioned that the Election Commission had not responded promptly to his earlier complaint. Police arrested two individuals in connection with the cash-for-ID case.

The BJP is contesting 149 seats, while Shiv Sena is fielding candidates in 81 constituencies, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is contesting in 59.

The Congress has put up 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) 86. Smaller parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and AIMIM are also in the race, with BSP fielding 237 candidates and AIMIM 17 in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

The total number of candidates has risen by 28% compared to the 2019 elections, with 4,136 candidates contesting, up from 3,239. Among them, 2,086 are independents, and over 150 constituencies have rebels running against their party’s official nominees.

The ECI says, “In exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and all other powers enabling it in this behalf, hereby directs that no Political Party or Candidate or any other Organization or Person shall publish any Advertisement in the print media on poll day and one day prior to poll day, unless the contents of political advertisements are got Pre-certified by them from the MCMC Committee at the State/District level, as the case may be. This will apply in the case of political advertisements to be published in the print media.”

For Maharashtra, the restricted days are 19 and 20 November, as per ECI.

The Navi Mumbai police have launched a one-click facility to provide voters with essential information about their polling booth, nearby parking, and crowd status at the booth. Voters can access this information by scanning the Navi Mumbai Police QR code.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has appealed to people in the metropolis to keep aside their leave plans and vote tomorrow. Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

“I humbly request all Mumbaikars to exercise their voting right with responsibility and in a peaceful manner,” Phansalkar said in a video message on Tuesday.

Earlier, in a post on X, he appealed to the people to vote to ensure their future is in “genuine and responsible hands”.

“Just keep your long leave plans aside and make sure you will not miss the opportunity of pressing the button quietly thereby discharging your responsibility,” he said.

“Also spread the message to the unaware voters as to not waste their extremely important vote and do your bit in building the future of this zealous nation. Vote and spread the importance of voting,” he added.

A case has been registered against four unidentified individuals on charges of attempt to murder following an attack on Anil Deshmukh, former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP (SP) leader. On the evening of November 18, Deshmukh’s car was pelted with stones near Belphata on Jalalkheda Road in Nagpur while he was returning from a meeting. He sustained serious head injuries and was initially treated at Katol Civil Hospital before being transferred to a private facility in Nagpur.

The number of eligible voters in Mumbai has surpassed the one crore mark, rising from 98.95 lakh during the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year. A civic official confirmed that the total voter count now stands at over 1 crore.

During the Lok Sabha polls, Mumbai had 98,95,602 eligible voters, with 25,16,667 in the island city and 74,64,974 in the suburban districts, according to Election Commission (EC) data.

The Maharashtra assembly elections are set for November 20, with votes to be counted on November 23.

Ahead of the Maharashtra elections, wrestler and Congress MLA from Haryana’s Julana, Vinesh Phogat, held a roadshow in Pune to support Congress candidate Datta Bahirat from the Shivajinagar Assembly constituency. Phogat urged voters to back the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), accusing the Mahayuti government of “injustice” for toppling the people’s elected government.

The Congress party has blamed the Maharashtra government for expediting clearances for projects associated with the Adani Group. It has been alleged that this is being done given upcoming elections. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh has stated that recent reactions from the senior Mahayuti leaders have made it clear why the government is speeding up these projects.

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Mumbai’s voter has crossed the one-crore mark, as per official data. A surge of 2.9 lakh eligible voters has been noted since the last Lok Sabha elections which were conducted this year. The milestone has been confirmed by the civic official on Monday.

Former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh suffered severe injuries on Monday night after his car got attacked by stone pelters in Nagpur district. The incident happened around 8 pm when Deshmukh was returning to Katol after attending a meeting in Narkhed village.

Maharashtra is gearing up for its assembly elections on November 20, with 4,136 candidates competing for 288 seats across the state. Among them, 2,086 individuals are contesting as independents. Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, Aaditya Thackeray, Kedar Dighe, Praful Vinodrao Gudadhe, Yugendra Pawar, Milind Deora, Varun Sardesai are some of the major candidates who are contesting. A total of 101 candidates will contest from Congress, 95 candidates from Shiv Sena will be fighting, and NCP Sharad Pawar faction party will have 86 candidates to contest.

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Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha visited Dharavi, Mumbai largest slum. During the visit, he talked with representatives from small-scale industry, and local artisans and discussed their contributions and challenges. Gandhi used the opportunity to raise concern related to the growing influence of industrialist Gautam Adani in Mumbai, particularly in Dharavi redevelopment projects.

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Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar appealed to voters in Baramati, advocating for a young and dynamic MLA to represent the constituency on the last day of campaigning. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar urged voters to remain rational and avoid being influenced by emotional narratives.

The election campaign for the Maharashtra assembly elections ended, with the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance aiming to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition seeking a strong comeback. Voting will take place across all 288 assembly constituencies on November 20, and the results will be announced on November 23.

Authorities seized cash, liquor, and other materials worth Rs 22 crore in Palghar district, Maharashtra. The haul includes Rs 16.14 crore in cash, liquor valued at Rs 2.46 crore, drugs worth Rs 26.82 lakh, and items like laptops, sarees, and cookers, according to Palghar collector Govind Bodke, reports PTI.

The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party of launching a smear campaign against the Dharavi redevelopment project in Mumbai. Responding to the allegations made by Gandhi at a press conference earlier in the day, senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde asserted that Gautam Adani‘s business expansion actually began during the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Tawde pointed to business deals struck between the Adani group and Congress-ruled states, including a Rs 12,400 crore deal in Telangana and a Rs 46,000 crore solar project in Rajasthan, both of which were signed during Congress governance. He questioned,

“When Congress inked these deals with Adani, who was he aligned with at the time?” Tawde’s comments were aimed at countering the Congress narrative that the BJP has close ties with Adani, particularly regarding the Dharavi redevelopment project.

He rejected Rahul Gandhi’s claims that BJP policies were designed to benefit Adani, including in the case of the Dharavi project.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s “Ek hai toh safe hai” slogan at a press conference in Mumbai, linking it to the Dharavi redevelopment project awarded to the Adani Group. Pulling out a safe containing posters of PM Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani, Gandhi claimed the slogan was designed to help Adani acquire Rs 1 lakh crore worth of land.

“Narendra Modi’s slogan is: If we are united, we are safe. The question is: who is safe,” Gandhi said.

The BJP and undivided Shiv Sena contested the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections as allies, but a dispute over sharing the chief minister’s post for two and a half years led to a deadlock. Subsequently, the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to create the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition.

In 2022, Eknath Shinde, one of the ministers in the MVA government, rebelled against the party leadership and, with the support of the BJP, became Maharashtra’s chief minister. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis became his deputy.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde defended his decision to break away from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), accusing the leadership of the Shiv Sena at the time of adopting an anti-development approach and moving away from its Hindutva values. In an interview with PTI, Shinde alleged that there was an effort to “hand over the Shiv Sena to Congress” during the MVA alliance, describing it as a betrayal of the public’s trust.

“I left because they were obstructing progress and steering the Shiv Sena away from its core Hindutva ideology,” Shinde explained. “I urged Uddhav Thackeray to re-align with the BJP, but he ignored us.” Shinde added that the formation of the Mahayuti government had reinstated the people’s mandate.

He also accused the MVA of stalling vital development projects, including initiatives in irrigation and the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Highway.

An unidentified gunman opened fire at the residence of independent candidate Sheikh Ahmed Hussain Gulam Hussain in Jalgaon today morning. The shooter fired three rounds at the candidate’s home in the Shera Naka area. However, no casulaty was reported. Police are reviewing CCTV footage to identify the assailant. A case has been registered at MIDC police station under the Arms Act, and probe in the case is on.

Maharashtra will vote in a single phase on November 20. The state is seeing an intense electoral fight between the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi coalitions. Which alliance will be part of the government formation will be known on November 23, when results will be announced.