Lok Sabha elections 2019: Maharashtra set for two-cornered contest
Ahead of Lok Sabha election 2019, the Devendra Fadnavis government has also take some important decisions aimed at wooing voters. It has scrapped the land acquisition process for the Nanar refinery project, which was being opposed by the local population.
With Lok Sabha elections 2019 round the corner, the BJP and Shiv Sena have sealed a seat sharing pact despite unease in ties over various issues in the past.
The wary Devendra Fadnavis government has also take some important decisions aimed at wooing voters. It has scrapped the land acquisition process for the Nanar refinery project, which was being opposed by the local population.
It has also announced some sops for the Dhangar (shepherd) community, which is seeking inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes category for reservation.
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The state is set for a two-cornered contest with Congress-NCP on the other side of the ring.
Also in the fray will be smaller players with influence in certain pockets -- Raj Thackeray (MNS), Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A), Prakash Ambedkar (BBM), Raju Shetti (Swabhimani Paksh)
Here is all you need to know about the state:
Polling dates: April, 11, April 18, April 23, April 29
Counting of votes: May 23
Ruling party/coalition in the state: BJP-Shiv Sena alliance
Number of Lok Sabha seats in the state: 48
Party wise break-up of the Lok Sabha seats: BJP: 23, Shiv Sena: 18, NCP: 4, Congress: 2, Swabhimani Paksh: 1
(One BJP MP resigned to join Congress in 2018. NCP won the bypolls for the seat, taking its tally to 5. Swabhimani Paksh was part of NDA, now it is not)
Number of voters in the state: 8.73 crore
Voter turnout in 2014 : 60.36% (4,87,18,844)
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Number of assembly seats: 288
Partywise break-up of assembly seats: BJP: 122, Shiv Sena: 63, Congress: 42, NCP: 41, Smaller parties: 13, Independents:7
Key players: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, union minister Nitin Gadkari (BJP), Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena), Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel (NCP), Ashok Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Congress).
Leaders of small parties who matter in certain pockets: Raj Thackeray (MNS), Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A), Prakash Ambedkar (BBM), Raju Shetti (Swabhimani Paksh)
Key issues:
Drought in almost half of the state, agrarian crisis, jobs, Maratha reservation, inflation, infrastructure, security (in the context of Indo-Pak conflict)