Our beloved Ganeshotsav is finally here and on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi, all devotees are performing Ganesh pujan to mark the beginning of the 10-day-long festival. As per tradition, I also welcomed our beloved Ganpati Bappa at my residence the CM added.

CM Eknath Shinde performed the pran prathistha of Lord Ganesha at Varsha Bungalow at Malabar Hill, his official residence along with his family. His son, MP Shrikant Shinde and grandson Rudransh were also seen participating in the puja.

The highlight of the state’s annual Budget this year was the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (MMLBY) that grants a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 to women between 21 years and 65 years. With an estimated 2.5 crore beneficiaries, the state exchequer is set to incur a whopping Rs 46,000 crore expenditure on the scheme.

With the Assembly polls likely to be held in November-December, all three Mahayuti parties are working overtime to consolidate their electoral bases through the women-centric scheme. Each party has been holding public meetings and rallies to project their leaders through this scheme.

In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the Mahayuti won 17 seats of the state’s 48 seats, trailing behind the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) that won 30 constituencies. The BJP won nine seats and 26.18% vote share, the Shiv Sena seven and 12.95%, and the NCP one and 3.6%. In the BJP, there is a sense that bringing the NCP on board did not help the Mahayuti, with a senior BJP member saying, “It has neither helped transfer votes or win seats.”

CM Eknath Shinde hinted that the polls would be held in November. Stating that elections “will be held in two months,” He has appealed to people to elect Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande from the Chandivali assembly constituency.

Maharashtra has 9.53 crore voters, according to the final electoral roll published on Aug 30, ahead of the upcoming assembly polls. This is a rise of 16.9 lakh voters in just three weeks since the draft roll was published on Aug 6. The state, however, has only 18.6 lakh voters in the 18-19 age-group of young and first-time voters. This accounts for less than 2% of the state’s total voters.

In the Assembly polls, the Mahayuti is expecting a stiff challenge from the MVA and like in the Lok Sabha elections, seat-sharing may end up being a major bone of contention. While the BJP is under pressure from its MLAs to contest no less than 150 to 160 seats, the Shiv Sena is hoping for 80 to 90 seats, and the NCP has indicated it will settle only for 60 seats.