Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Multi-party contest in Maharashtra may throw up interesting results

Mumbai: The exit polls have clearly specified the return of Narendra Modi as prime minister for a third successive term but Maharashtra may throw up interesting results. 

Maharashtra accounts for 48 seats next only to 80 of Uttar Pradesh - and the big chunk is known to make or break things in electoral politics. 

The contest involves two alliances - BJP-led Maha Yuti (NDA) and Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A) and six political parties - three on each side and their allies. 

The Maha Yuti comprises BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP while the Maha Vikas Aghadi includes Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).

The largest chunk of fights are between BJP and Congress followed by 13 of Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena (UBT), eight involving BJP and NCP (SP), five of BJP vs Shiv Sena (UBT). 

Within these, there are some triangular contests as well. 

Two seats each involve direct contests between NCP vs NCP (SP), NCP vs Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress vs Shiv Sena.

One contest involves Shiv Sena (UBT) and Mahadev Jankar-led Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP). 

The Congress vs BJP fights are in Nandurbar (ST), Dhule, Nanded, Jalna, Latur (SC), Akola, Amravati (SC), Nagpur, Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), Bhandara-Gondiya, Chandrapur, Mumbai North, Mumbai North-Central, Pune and Solapur (SC). The Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena (UBT) direct fights are in Buldhana, Hingoli, Aurangabad, Nashik, Yavatmal-Washim, Kalyan, Thane, Shirdi (SC), Maval, Hatkanangle, Mumbai South, Mumbai South-Central and Mumbai North-West. 

The direct NCP vs NCP (SP) fights are in Baramati and Shirur. 

The BJP vs Shiv Sena (UBT) contests are in Palghar (ST), Mumbai North-East, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Jalgaon and Sangli. 

The BJP vs NCP (SP) fights are Madha, Ahmednagar, Beed, Wardha, Bhiwandi, Satara, Raver and Dindori (ST). 

The NCP vs Shiv Sena (UBT) contests are in Osmanabad and Raigad, Congress vs Shiv Sena in two seats of Ramtek (SC) and Kolhapur.

There is one contest in Parbhani involving Shiv Sena (UBT) and RSP, which has been given ticket from NCP quota as MVA candidate. 

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