MUMBAI: Stakes are high for many regional heavyweights in Maharashtra as the state goes to the polls on Wednesday in what promises to be a make-or-break election for satraps like Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray and deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP has fielded candidates in 59 constituencies. In the opposition alliance, Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and the NCP (SP) 86. The two Pawars, Shinde and Thackerays are engaged in an intense battle to seek popular legitimacy.
The senior Pawar, who will turn 84 next month, delivered a debilitating blow to his nephew, whose breakaway faction was recognised as the real Nationalist Congress Party by the Election Commission, in the Lok Sabha elections and is looking to strike a knockout punch in the assembly polls. Ajit Pawar is hoping to bounce back.
The Lok Sabha results, however, gave both Thackeray, who heads Shiv Sena (UBT) after the Shinde-led group was recognised as the real Shiv Sena, and the chief minister something to cheer about, rendering the assembly election the air of a final match that could deliver only one winner.
While the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and Thackeray’s party are part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which has the Congress as its third important player, the NCP and Shiv Sena are allied with the BJP-led ruling Mahayuti.
The high-voltage fights are between Ajit Pawar versus his nephew Yugendra Pawar in Baramati. This election is a fight for existence for Ajit while his uncle Sharad Pawar has appealed to voters of Baramati that it was time to choose the young leader and defeat Ajit.
Another interesting contest is in Mahim, where MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit is fighting his debut election against CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena candidate Sada Sarvankar and Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Mahesh Sawant.
Aditya Thackeray is contesting as a Shiv Sena candidate against former Union minister Milind Deora in Worli seat. Besides, former CM Prithviraj Chavan is contesting against BJP candidate Dr Atul Baba Bhosale in Karad South.
Most contests appear triangular and multipolar due to rebels and independents.
At the centre of poll sweepstakes involving the two Senas is the question mark over “Mumbai ka king kaun,” as many of their workers said in a reference to the sway the undivided Sena had over the financial capital and which is now being contested.
More than 4K candidates in the fray
Over 4,000 candidates are contesting for the 288-member House. Stakes are high for many regional heavyweights as the state goes to polls in what promises to be a make-or-break election for satraps like Sharad Pawar, Eknath Shinde, Uddhav Thackeray and Ajit Pawar.