Maharashtra Elections Set Amid Alliance Talks

The Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with major alliances Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) engaged in intense seat-sharing discussions over 20-30 key seats. The MVA, including Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and NCP (Sharad Pawar), seeks to capitalize on its previous Lok Sabha success, while the ruling Mahayuti alliance, consisting of BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde), and NCP (Ajit Pawar), remains strong. The Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll will also occur on November 20 due to the death of Congress MP Vasant Chavan, with his son Ravindra Chavan expected to contest. Low voter turnout in urban areas, such as Colaba, is concerning, prompting the Election Commission to implement participation-boosting measures. By-elections are also set for November 13 in various Indian states, including Karnataka and Kanpur, where political parties are focusing on candidate selection and addressing internal issues.