Voting is underway for 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, with the ruling Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi battling for power in the state. Key leaders in this election include Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is challenged from Kopri-Pachpakhadi, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is guarding his fort in Nagpur South West. NCP leader and Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is trying to save the family bastion of Baramati.
In Jharkhand, 528 candidates, including 55 women, one third gender candidate and 472 men, are contesting over 38 seats in this phase. Over 1.23 crore voters, including 61 lakh women, are eligible to cast their votes. This election is primarily a contest between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led Union and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Key candidates in Jharkhand include Chief Minister Hemant Soren from the JMM, his wife Kalpana Soren and his sister-in-law Sita Soren. Meanwhile, surveys are also underway for by-elections on 15 party seats in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Uttarakhand. By-elections are due in nine seats in Uttar Pradesh – Mirapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Shishmau, Phulpur, Katehri and Majhwan. By-elections are being held in four party constituencies in Punjab – Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala.
