Maharashtra Votes: 4,136 candidates, 288 seats, and question of urban apathy

With just hours left before Maharashtra votes, both the ruling Mahayuti (NDA) and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A.) are brimming with confidence, each claiming they’ll cross the magic number of 170 in the 288-seat Legislative Assembly. But beyond the political fireworks lies a crucial question: will urban centers shed their history of voter apathy, or will low engagement once again shape the outcome in these key constituencies?
Maharashtra’s political battleground is as complex as it gets. Since the Congress’s sharp decline in 2014, no single party has managed to fill the vacuum it left behind. Unlike states like Gujarat or Rajasthan, where elections are often straightforward contests between the BJP and Congress, Maharashtra’s fragmented politics tell a different story.
As the clock ticks down to polling day on November 20, Maharashtra’s voters hold the power to tip the scales in a contest where every seat counts.
Adding to this complexity is the persistent challenge of urban voter apathy. Cities like Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune, with their vast electorates, report lower-than-average turnouts, leaving crucial outcomes in the hands of fewer voters. As Maharashtra heads to the polls, the question remains: will urban centers like Mumbai and Pune defy their history of low engagement, or will the pattern repeat?
Maharashtra, in its 13 Assembly elections, has recorded an average voter turnout of 62.2%. The state’s highest turnout was in 1995, when 71.6% of voters cast their ballots, while the lowest was in 1980, with 53.3% turnout.
‘Urban voter apathy’ remains a persistent challenge. In the 2019 Assembly elections, 62 of the 64 urban constituencies recorded turnouts below the state average. The trend was similar during the Lok Sabha elections, as flagged by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
Mumbai, the state’s capital city and India’s financial capital, has long struggled with low voter turnout. However, recent polls have shown a slight upward trend, with the city managing to cross the 50% mark in Assembly elections.
A whopping 4,136 candidates are vying for 288 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly, with independents making up nearly half the field—2,086 contenders.
Among the major parties, the BJP is contesting the lion’s share with 149 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) in 81 constituencies and Ajit Pawar-led NCP in 59. On the opposition side, the Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting 95 seats, and Sharad Pawar-led NCP has put up 86 contenders.
Smaller parties also make their presence felt. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting 237 seats, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) is in the race for 17 constituencies.
For Congress, the Maharashtra Assembly elections are a make-or-break moment. The outcome will be a litmus test for the I.N.D.I.A. opposition bloc, with key allies Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar playing crucial roles alongside Rahul Gandhi. A strong showing here could solidify the bloc’s unity.
For PM Modi, a win here would solidify the NDA’s position after a reduced Lok Sabha tally earlier this year. Maharashtra’s outcome could shape the balance of power as both sides fight for dominance in this high-stakes election.
With such a crowded field, alliances, vote splits, and independent candidates could prove decisive in shaping the outcome of this high-stakes election. The results, set to be declared on November 23, will reveal how these dynamics play out in Maharashtra’s political outcome.