Maharashtra polls: Here are 6 top electoral battles to watch out for

With the nomination process coming to a close for Maharashtra Assembly elections on Tuesday (October 29), the stage is set for an intense political battle between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Though each of the 288 constituencies in the state will witness an exciting contest between the two alliances, comprising three parties each, the entire state’s eyes will be on some of the key constituencies that promise a high-stakes battle.

The Federal takes you through some of the hot seats to watch out for in the electoral fight of the battleground state of Maharashtra.

Baramati: Ajit Pawar vs Yugendra Pawar

Baramati, the family bastion of the Pawars, is all set to witness another Pawar vs Pawar showdown after the Lok Sabha elections in which Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule had defeated Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar.

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The NCP (SP) has fielded Sharad Pawar's grandnephew Yugendra Pawar against Deputy CM Ajit Pawar from this prestigious seat. It will perhaps be the toughest political battle for Ajit Pawar who has retained this seat for seven consecutive terms since 1991, before Sharad Pawar walked out of the Congress to form NCP.

In the 2019 assembly elections, Ajit Pawar won the seat with a landslide majority since he secured around 1.95 lakh votes and bagged a vote share of 83.24 per cent. However, the Lok Sabha poll results don’t augur well for him, as Sule not only defeated his wife by over 1.5 lakh votes but also secured a lead of 48,000 votes from Baramati Assembly segment.

Though making his electoral debut in these elections, Yugendra has been preparing the ground for it under Sharad Pawar’s guidance. He also helped manage Supriya Sule's Lok Sabha election campaign in the constituency. He is also the treasurer of Vidya Pratishthan, an educational institution founded by Sharad Pawar.

Kopri-Pachpakhadi: Eknath Shinde vs Kedar Dighe

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his mentor Anand Dighe's nephew will battle it out to claim the late Shiv Sena leader’s legacy in this constituency of Thane district. CM Shinde has often called Anand Dighe as his political mentor.

Kopri-Pachpakhadi is significant for Shinde and the Mahayuti alliance as he has been representing this seat since it was created in 2009. In the 2019 election, before the Shiv Sena split, Shinde won the seat with over 65% of the vote. Congress’ Sanjay Ghadigaonkar and MNS' Mahesh Parshuram Kadam followed with over 13% each.

After Dighe passed away due to a massive heart attack in 2001, Shinde took the reins of the Shiv Sena’s Thane branch and rose up the ranks to reach the highest office in the state.

His Shiv Sena (UBT) rival Kedar Dighe is active in politics since 2006 and has held posts in the Yuva Sena led by Aaditya Thackeray. Kedar had earlier pressed for contesting the Assembly elections but was repeatedly denied.

Nagpur South West: Devendra Fadnavis vs Praful Gudadhe

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is facing a challenge to retain his stronghold for the fourth straight time in these elections. He has held the Nagpur South West assembly seat for three consecutive terms since 2009.

During the 2024 general elections, the Nagpur South West was among the four Assembly segments under the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency where the BJP’s votes declined.

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Fadnavis won from the constituency in 2019 by a margin of more than 49,000 votes. His influence in the region is significant because of his long-standing political career, development projects and strong organisational support within the BJP. However, his victory margin came down from nearly 60,000 in 2014 to little over 49,000 in 2019.

On the other hand, his Congress rival Praful Gudadhe is known for his local roots and grassroots connect. He could benefit from voter fatigue toward the BJP or dissatisfaction with the existing administration over issues such as urban infrastructure, public services, and local concerns about BJP's economic policies.

Worli: Milind Deora vs Aaditya Thackeray

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s decision to pit Milind Deora, a seasoned Maharashtra politician, against incumbent MLA and former state minister Aaditya Thackeray has made Worli a high-voltage contest in these Assembly polls.

Deora quit the Congress to join Shiv Sena (Shinde) in January this year and was sent to the Rajya Sabha by the party. A three-time MP from South Mumbai, he was tasked with overseeing the influential Worli constituency during the Lok Sabha elections by Shinde Sena.

Even though Thackeray has historically maintained an advantage in this seat, recent Lok Sabha elections revealed a vulnerable lead of only 6,500 votes for Uddhav Thackeray's party.

In his first election in 2019, Aaditya Thackeray won from the cosmopolitan constituency with a whopping 89,248 votes whereas his closest rival NCP's Suresh Mane got only 21,821 votes.

Deora is hoping to make it big in Worli due to his appeal among the urban middle-class voters.

MNS’ Sandeep Deshpande has spiced up the contest in this constituency. Though MNS has a limited voter base, Deshpande is popular for his focus on local civic issues.

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Vandre East: Zeeshan Siddique vs Varun Sardesai

In the spotlight after the assassination of NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Baba Siddique, Vandre East will see his son Zeeshan contesting on the party ticket.

Zeeshan was expelled by the Congress for cross voting in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Baba Siddique (66) had left Congress after a 48-year association with the grand old party and joined Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Zeeshan enjoys strong support among young voters and the Muslim community. He is known for his direct approach to address local issues and engagement with the public on social media. He could also get sympathy votes in this election due to the killing of his father Baba Siddique.

His Shiv Sena (UBT) rival Varun Sardesai also comes from a political family. He is the nephew of Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and holds considerable clout in Vandre East as it has been the traditional stronghold of the party.

Anushakti Nagar: Fahad Ahmad vs Sana Malik

The rivalry between two prominent figures in the Maharashtra’s Muslim community – Samajwadi Party’s state chief Abu Asim Azmi and Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s Nawab Malik – has turned the focus on this constituency and made it one to watch out for in these elections.

The sudden candidature of Fahad Ahmad, the husband of actress Swara Bhasker, as the NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidate is being attributed by many to this factor. According to sources, Malik’s decision to contest from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency, a seat previously won by Azmi in 2019 and two other occasions, prompted Azmi to expedite Ahmad’s candidacy.

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This move could significantly impact Azmi’s electoral prospects, as it risks splitting the Muslim vote between the two heavyweights.

Notably, the BJP was against Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s move to field Malik from Anushakti Nagar due to his legal troubles and past accusations of links to organised crime, following which the party decided to field his daughter Sana Malik instead.

Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in February 2022 in connection with a money laundering case, spending 18 months in jail before being released after the NCP (Ajit Pawar) aligned with the BJP.

The rivalry between Malik and Azmi dates back to their early careers with the Samajwadi Party.