Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and NCP candidate for Baramati, cast his vote on Wednesday. He expressed confidence, saying, “The Mahayuti is going to form the Government here. I hope the people of Baramati have faith in me.”
Pawar addressed allegations made by former IPS officer Ravindra Patil. Patil had claimed that NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole used Bitcoin scam-tainted funds for their election campaigns. Pawar responded, “I have worked with both of them. One is my sister, and the other is someone I’ve worked closely with. I can recognize their voices in the audio clip. An inquiry will be done, and everything will be clear.”
Baramati is one of the most watched constituencies in this election. Ajit Pawar faces his nephew, Yugendra Pawar, the son of his younger brother, Shrinivas Pawar. This constituency also gained attention during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where Sunetra Pawar challenged Supriya Sule. Sule won by a margin of 1.5 lakh votes.
Voting for the single-phase Maharashtra assembly elections began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm. Polling is happening across 288 constituencies. A total of 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents, are contesting. The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81, and NCP 59. Congress has 101 candidates, and Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) are contesting 95 and 86 seats, respectively. The BSP is contesting 237 seats. Maharashtra has approximately 9.7 crore registered voters.
To ensure smooth elections, Mumbai has seen heightened security. Over 25,000 personnel, including riot-control teams, have been deployed. The Brihanmumbai Police Commissionerate reported that more than 2,000 officers and 25,000 police personnel are on duty to maintain law and order.
The Maharashtra election is marked by shifting alliances and ideological conflicts. The main contest is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which includes BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena took 56, and Congress won 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42.
