Maharashtra Election 2024 / Uddhav played a trick before voting, staked claim to the CM post

Maharashtra Election 2024: As the date of voting in the Maharashtra Assembly elections approaches, the stir in political parties has intensified. While on the one hand all the parties are busy campaigning with their candidates and agendas, on the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT), a major ally of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, has heated up the political equations by presenting its claim to the post of Chief Minister. This move of Shiv Sena (UBT) can further increase the differences in the MVA.

Big claim of Shiv Sena (UBT)

Through an advertisement in the Saamana newspaper, Shiv Sena (UBT) has given the message that the upcoming government in Maharashtra will be led by the "Kutumba Pramukh" i.e. the head of the family. In this message, Uddhav Thackeray has been described as the Kutumb Pramukh and presented as a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister. This bet of Shiv Sena (UBT) has come at a time when only a few days are left for the voting, increasing the possibility of discord among the allies in the alliance.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's sharp retort

Current Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief, Eknath Shinde targeted Uddhav Thackeray's move. In an election rally, Shinde took a dig at Uddhav Thackeray's leadership and Shiv Sena's (UBT) election symbol "Mashal", saying that "Mashal" only works to set houses on fire. Shinde also spoke about the Muslim vote bank and claimed that soon this support will shift from his side.

Maharashtra Assembly Election Schedule

All 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra are going to vote in a single phase on November 20, while the results will be declared on November 23. The complete schedule of the election is as follows:

Election notification issued: 22 October 2024

Last date for nomination: 29 October 2024

Scrutiny of nomination: 30 October 2024

Last date for withdrawal of candidature: 4 November 2024

Date of polling: 20 November 2024

Date of counting: 23 November 2024

Political impact of Shiv Sena's (UBT) claim

This move by Shiv Sena (UBT) has further complicated the politics in Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress are the main allies in the MVA. However, Uddhav Thackeray's claim to the post of Chief Minister may lead to difficulties in coordination with other parties of the MVA, raising questions on the unity of the alliance.

It will be interesting to see whether this claim of Shiv Sena (UBT) is successful in wooing other parties of the MVA or it will lead to further division in the alliance.