Maharashtra: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is all set to launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Sankalp Patra (manifesto) for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections on Sunday.

In contrast, the Congress party has already unveiled its manifesto, featuring five key promises for the people of Maharashtra. These guarantees include Rs 3,000 monthly financial assistance for women, free bus travel for women and girls under the Mahalakshmi Yojana, loan waivers of up to Rs 3 lakh for farmers, an incentive of Rs 50,000 for those who repay loans regularly, a caste-wise census, the removal of the 50% reservation cap, health insurance coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh, and free medicines and financial assistance up to Rs 4,000 per month for unemployed youth.

However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning the credibility of the Congress manifesto. "Congress has made similar promises in states like Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh, but later they claim there was a printing mistake or that they do not have the funds. They often ask for money from the Centre. These are deceitful people who cannot be trusted. Rahul Gandhi promised 'Khata Khat,' but we delivered 'Pat Pata Pat,'" he said.

With the election date approaching, political campaigning in Maharashtra is intensifying. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), aims to regain control of the state. They are up against the Mahayuti alliance, which consists of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, the BJP, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.

A key battle will be in Baramati, where NCP leader Ajit Pawar will face off against his nephew, Yugendra Pawar, the son of Ajit Pawar's younger brother, Shrinivas Pawar. The Baramati constituency also gained attention during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when Sunetra Pawar contested against Supriya Sule. Sule emerged victorious by a margin of 1.5 lakh votes.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with the vote counting for all 288 constituencies taking place on November 23.

In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and Congress bagged 44. In 2014, the BJP claimed 122 seats, Shiv Sena won 63, and Congress secured 42.

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