Nagpur: With its diverse political and socio-economic landscape, Vidarbha’s electoral outcome is seen as a potential game-changer in Maharashtra politics
For the first time in Vidarbha’s history, the number of voters has crossed the 2-crore mark. In 2019, the voter count was below 2 crore. Over the years, 750,622 voters were added, bringing the total number of voters in Vidarbha to 2,00,37,221. These voters will elect 62 representatives from 1,023 candidates contesting in the Assembly elections. Nagpur stands out as the largest region in Vidarbha, not only in terms of Assembly constituencies but also in voter count.
In Nagpur, the fate of 117 candidates will be decided by 45,25,997 voters. Following Nagpur, Amravati ranks as the second-largest region by voter count, with the number rising to 25,46,458. Among Vidarbha’s districts, Gadchiroli has the lowest number of voters, with a total of 8,21,455. For the 62 seats in Vidarbha, 21,841 polling stations have been set up. In the 2019 elections, 755 candidates contested in the region.
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Tues 19 Nov. 2024
BJP held 29 seats in 2019
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP won 29 seats, while Congress secured 15 seats. The then-undivided Shiv Sena managed to win only four seats. However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) performed strongly, capturing 7 out of 10 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha. Based on the Lok Sabha results, the MVA was ahead in 42 Assembly segments, while the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance held the lead in only 20 segments. Both alliances are now pulling out all stops to secure victory in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Direct contests in 35 seats in Vidarbha:
Vidarbha, a predominantly agricultural and tribal region, has 62 Assembly seats. Of these, 35 seats are witnessing a direct contest between Congress and the BJP. In seven constituencies, there is a face-off between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar factions of the NCP. Additionally, six constituencies will see a direct contest between factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray.
With 62 Assembly constituencies, Vidarbha, a region in Central India marked by a striking mix of contrasting elements, plays a decisive role in Maharashtra’s politics. Stretching from the Naxal-affected area of Gadchiroli bordering Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad forest to Nagpur, where the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological backbone of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has its headquarters, it encompasses the pulse of the State’s socio-political dynamics.
It is also home to Deekshabhoomi, where Dr B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism in 1956, a site of immense historical significance to his followers, and the epicentre of an ongoing agrarian crisis that has plagued Maharashtra’s cotton belt.
Despite being home to the RSS, the region has historically been a Congress bastion, until it was breached by the BJP a decade ago. Each constituency has its own caste dynamics, with the Kunbi community holding substantial sway, shaping electoral outcomes in ways that national parties must heed.
Total voter in Vidarbha:
· Nagpur: 4525997
· Buldhana: 2134500
· Washim: 1009107
· Akola: 1632144
· Amravati: 2546458
· Yavatmal: 2243162
· Gadchiroli: 821455
· Wardha: 1132326
· Gondia: 1125100
· Bhandara: 1016870
· Chandrapur: 1850102
· Total: 2,00,37,321
