Maharashtra to see five-phase BJP-Sena vs MVA Lok Sabha election fight on these dates

Maharashtra will vote in Lok Sabha elections to 48 seats in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20.

Updated on: Mar 16, 2024, 17:48:08 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Aryan Prakash

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Maharashtra will witness Lok Sabha elections to 48 seats in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20, the Election Commission announced on Saturday. The western state sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

The Lok Sabha election will witness a high-octane contest between Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party and the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar.

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In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena had fought in an alliance, bagging 23 and 18 seats respectively. Both the parties split after the assembly elections held later that year and the Uddhav Thackeray-led party joined hands to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition also comprising Congress and undivided NCP.

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In 2022, Shiv Sena was split after Eknath Shinde walked out along with 39 other MLAs thereby reducing the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government into a minority. His party boss resigned as the chief minister and Shinde formed the government along with the BJP. In February last year, the Election Commission recognised the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena.

Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray (File)

But the MVA's woes did not end with Sena's split. Sharad Pawar, who survived a split in his NCP in 2019 when his nephew Ajit took oath as deputy chief minister in the short-lived government headed by Devendra Fadnavis. Then, Pawar Sr. had managed to salvage the party and Ajit had to return to the party fold. However, he did take oath as the deputy CM in the MVA government days later.

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Last year, Ajit Pawar succeeded in breaking his uncle's party apart when he along with eight other MLAs joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government. He took oath as the deputy chief minister for the third time since 2019. Earlier this year, Ajit Pawar received a shot in the arm as the Election Commission granted him the party's official name and symbol.

The outcome of the Lok Sabha elections this time will set a tone for the gruelling multi-cornered assembly poll contest which is likely to be held in October this year.

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HT News Desk
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