Divisive slogan may unite minority voters in Mumbai-Thane

Assembly Elections 2024 Live Updates: Voting is underway in 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra, with ruling Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi contending for power in the state. Key leaders in the race including  Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, contesting from Kopri-Pachpakhadi, and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, defending his stronghold in Nagpur South West. NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is seeking to retain the family bastion of Baramati.

In Jharkhand, 528 candidates, including 55 women, one third-gender candidate, and 472 men, are contesting across 38 seats in this phase. Over 1.23 crore voters, including 61 lakh women, are eligible to cast their votes. The election primarily pits the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Prominent candidates in Jharkhand include Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren, and his sister-in-law Sita Soren from the JMM.

Meanwhile, polling is also underway for the by-elections in 15 Assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand. Nine seats in Uttar Pradesh--Meerapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Sishamau, Phulpur, Katehari, and Majhawan--are up for by-polls. In Punjab, by-elections are being held in four Assembly constituencies: Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC), and Barnala.