Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase 1 voting: The general elections in the Indian state of Maharashtra, which has the second-highest number of Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian parliament) seats, will begin on Friday (Apr 19) with the first phase of voting.
In Maharashtra, the elections will be held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20 and the results, like the rest of the country, will be announced on June 4.
Maharashtra Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1: Constituencies
Ramtek (SC)
Nagpur
Bhandara-Gondiya
Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST)
Chandrapur
Maharashtra Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1: Key candidates
Nitin Gadkari v/s Vikas Thakre
Nagpur is one of the most prominent parliamentary constituencies, the seat for which is currently held by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Nitin Gadkari.
The battle in Nagpur is going to be one of the most watched races not only in the state but in the country, with Gadkari who has a legion of supporters and is said to be a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) loyalist.
Once a champion of Congress, in 2014, Gadkari defeated seven-time Member of Parliament (MP) Vilas Muttemwar by a margin of 28 million votes. He also managed to retain his seat after defeating current Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole by 21.6 million votes, in 2019.
In 2024, Gadkari is eyeing a third consecutive term and has placed development at the centre of his campaign. The Union Minister will be up against Congress candidate Vikas Thakre who could potentially challenge Gadkari’s dominance in the city.
The Congress candidate has brought up issues like unemployment, inflation, lack of basic amenities, and local issues on the campaign trail. He has also taken shots at Gadkari saying that only building bridges and metros “do not mean development”.
Thakre has also remained confident that he will be able to sway the voters who have been disenchanted with the BJP’s agenda. “I can guarantee you that my victory will be with a margin of 1 lakh (100,000) votes,” said the Congress candidate.
Chandrapur
The race in Chandrapur will also be the one to watch, with it historically being the battleground for the two major parties in the country – BJP and Congress.
In 2019, Congress candidate Suresh ‘Balu’ Dhanorkar managed to defeat incumbent three-time MP Hansraj Gangaram Ahir. However, the seat has been vacant since Dhanrokar’s death in May 2023.
Notably, the BJP had maintained control of the constituency since 2004 before its defeat 15 years later. This year BJP has fielded Sudhir Mungantiwar, a six-time MLA and state minister against Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar.
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