Mumbai, July 15: As the tenure of the current Maharashtra State Assembly approaches its conclusion in 2024, the question of who will form the next government looms large. With political alliances and strategies evolving, parties are gearing up for the upcoming assembly election, anticipated to be held in or before October 2024. The state has witnessed dramatic changes in its political landscape, with  Uddhav Thackeray's resignation from the Chief Minister to Eknath Shinde's ascend to the same post. The state will now witness a keenly contested election as parties vie for power amidst shifting voter sentiments and regional dynamics.

The term of the current Maharashtra State Assembly is set to conclude in 2024, marking the completion of its five-year tenure since the last election held on October 21, 2019. The next election to elect all 288 members of the legislative assembly is expected to take place in October 2024. However, the definitive dates for the electoral polls are contingent upon the Election Commission of India's official announcement, which will determine the electoral timeline and process for Maharashtra's political future. Let's check the timeline closely as the state gears up for another round of democratic exercise. Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Eyeing Vidhan Sabha Poll, Ajit Pawar Discusses Seat-Sharing With Home Minister Amit Shah.

Previous Election Schedule and Results

In 2019, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Maharashtra assembly elections on September 21. Polling was held on October 21. The result of the Maharashtra election was declared on October 24. The term was supposed to end on November 9.

Following the elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party, securing 105 seats out of the 288-member assembly. However, unable to form a government independently, the BJP's erstwhile ally, the Shiv Sena, initiated discussions on power-sharing based on pre-election agreements. This led to the formation of a coalition government known as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Indian National Congress (INC). Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena, took oath as the Chief Minister on November 28, 2019. Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Seat-Sharing Talks in Maha Vikas Aghadi Underway, Congress Likely To Field Candidates on Maximum Seats.

In 2022, political dynamics shifted again when Eknath Shinde, a senior Shiv Sena leader and then Minister of Urban Development, was elected as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra following Uddhav Thackeray's resignation after several Shiv-Sena MLAs cross-voted in the legislative council elections held in Mumbai. As the countdown to the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections begins, all eyes remain on the evolving political alliances, electoral strategies, and the eventual outcomes that will shape the state's governance for the next five years.

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 Schedule

The Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024 in September. The next legislative assembly election is likely to be held in or before October 2024.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 15, 2024 01:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).