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((Short description|Indian state politics))
((use dmy dates|date=June 2023))
[[Maharashtra]] is [[India]]'s third largest [[States of India|state]] by area and has over 112&nbsp;million inhabitants. Its capital, [[Mumbai]], has a population of approximately 18&nbsp;million; [[Nagpur]] is Maharashtra's second, or winter, capital.<ref>((cite news|url=http://m.divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/news/Amravati/5540/MAH-VID-AMR-first-time-in-mumbai-to-nagpur-air-conditioner-bus-started-new-s-4834760-NOR.html|title=उपराजधानी ते राजधानी 'शिवनेरी'ची सवारी|trans-title=Uparājdhānī tē Rājdhānī' śivanērī'cī Savārī|language=Marathi|last=Bhushan Kale|work=[[Divya Marathi]]|date=10 December 2014|access-date=23 May 2015|location=Nagpur, Maharashtra, India|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623020105/http://m.divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/news/Amravati/5540/MAH-VID-AMR-first-time-in-mumbai-to-nagpur-air-conditioner-bus-started-new-s-4834760-NOR.html|archivedate=23 June 2015))</ref> Government in the state is organized on the [[parliamentary system]]. Power is devolved to large city councils, district councils ([[District Councils of India|zilla parishad]]), subdistrict ([[taluka]]) councils, and village parish councils ([[gram panchayat]]). The numerically strong Maratha–Kunbi community dominates the state's politics. The state has national and regional parties serving different demographics, such as those based on religion, caste, and urban and rural residents.

The Congress party dominated state politics for many years after the formation  of the state in 1960. In recent decades,however, splits within the Congress party, and the rise of Shiv Sena and the BJP has made politics of the state more competitive. Like in  other states of India, Maharashtra also has political families dominating their respective areas, and not averse to switching parties if that maintains their power. 

The politics of the state in the last five years has seen long term alliances breaking up like that of undivided Shivsena and BJP, new ones being formed between Congress, NCP, and the Shivsena, regional parties like the Shivsena and NCP splitting up, and majority of their legislators joining a new alliance government with the BJP.

==Government structure==
((Main|State governments of India|Local government#India|Union territory))

===State government===
[[File:Vidhan Bhavan (State Legislative Assembly) Nagpur - panoramio.jpg|right|thumb|[[Vidhan Bhavan, Nagpur|Vidhan Bhavan]] (State Legislative Assembly), Nagpur. The Assembly meets here for the winter session.]]
The [[Government of Maharashtra]] is conducted within a framework of parliamentary government, with a [[bicameral legislature]] consisting of the [[Maharashtra Legislative Assembly]] and the [[Maharashtra Legislative Council]].

The Legislative Assembly ([[Vidhan Sabha]]) is the lower chamber and consists of 288 members. 25 and 29 seats are reserved for the [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes]] and others, respectively.<ref name="mla's">((cite web|title=Legislative assembly Maharashtra|url=http://maharashtracongress.com/English/members-of-legislative-assembly-mla/|work=Congress|publisher=Maharashtra Congress|accessdate=19 January 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202174303/http://maharashtracongress.com/English/members-of-legislative-assembly-mla/|archivedate=2 February 2014))</ref> Members are elected for a five-year term by a [[first-past-the-post voting]] electoral system.

The Legislative Council ([[Vidhan Parishad]]) is the upper chamber and is a permanent body of 78 members.<ref name="leg ref1">((cite news |title=WHAT IS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |url=https://www.business-standard.com/about/what-is-legislative-council |access-date=2 December 2021 |publisher=Business Standard India))</ref> Members are elected indirectly in the following manner:

*One third are elected by the members of local bodies such as [[Municipal governance in India|municipalities]], [[gram panchayat]]s, [[panchayat samiti]]s, and [[District Councils of India|district councils]].
*One third are elected by the [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|members of the Legislative Assembly]] from among the persons who are not members of the Legislative Assembly.
*One sixth are nominated by the [[Governor (India)|governor]] from persons having knowledge or practical experience in fields such as [[literature]], [[science]], [[arts]], the [[cooperative|co-operative movement]], and [[social work|social services]].
*One twelfth are elected by persons who are graduates of three years' standing residing in that state.
*One twelfth are elected by teachers who have spent at least three years teaching in [[Education in India|educational institutions within the state]] not lower than [[secondary school]]s, including [[college]]s and [[university|universities]].<ref>((cite book |last=Jha |first=Raghbendra  |author-link= |title=An Overview of the Governance Content of India's Constitution |year=2018 |url=https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56554-9_7 |location=London |publisher=s Macmillan Publishers Ltd. |page=215 |doi=10.1057/978-1-137-56554-9_7 |isbn=978-1-137-56553-2 ))</ref>

The government is headed by the [[list of chief ministers of Maharashtra|chief minister]], who is chosen by the party or alliance with a majority of members in the Legislative Assembly. The chief minister and the council of ministers drive the legislative agenda and exercise most of the executive powers.<ref name="chief minister">((cite web|title=CM Selection|url=http://eci.nic.in/archive/handbook/CANDIDATES/cap6/cap6_1.htm|work=Election Commission|publisher=Election Commission of India|accessdate=19 January 2014))</ref> However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the [[Governor (India)|governor]], who is appointed for a five-year term by the [[president of India]] on the advice of the [[union government]].<ref name="Governor">((cite web|title=The Council of Ministers|url=http://jkrajbhawan.nic.in/The%20Governor/powerofgovernor.htm|work=Government of J & K|publisher=J & K Raj Bhavan|accessdate=19 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929021149/http://jkrajbhawan.nic.in/The%20Governor/powerofgovernor.htm|archive-date=29 September 2013|url-status=dead))</ref>

===Maharashtra in Indian Parliament===
Maharashtra elects members to both chambers of the Indian Parliament. Representatives to India's lower chamber, the [[Lok Sabha]], are elected by an adult [[universal suffrage]] in a [[first-past-the-post]] system to represent their respective [[List of constituencies of the Lok Sabha|constituencies]]. They hold their seats for five years, or until the body is dissolved by the president on the advice of the [[Union Council of Ministers|council of ministers]]. Representatives to India's upper chamber, the [[Rajya Sabha]], are elected indirectly by the Vidhan Sabha members. Maharashtra elects 48 of the 543 Lok Sabha members and 19 of the 233 Rajya Sabha members.

===Local government===
[[File:Gram panchayat office, Abdul Lat.jpg|thumb|right|A [[gram panchayat]] office in an Abdul Lat village, Kolhapur district]]
((Main|Local government in Maharashtra))
The state has a long tradition of compelling planning bodies at district and local levels.<ref name="Baviskar 2009 Page 317">((cite book |last1=Baviskar |first1=B.S. |last2=Mathew |first2=George |title=Inclusion and exclusion in local governance : field studies from rural India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EmWaEVcTvJ0C&q=maharashtra+%22gram+panchayat%22&pg=PP1 |date=2009 |pages=317 |location=London |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=9788178298603 |access-date=18 March 2022))</ref> Local self-governance institutions in rural areas include 34 [[District Councils of India|zilla parishads]] (district councils), 355 [[Panchayat Samiti (Block)|taluka panchayat samitis]] (district subdivision councils), and 27,993 [[gram panchayat]]s (village councils). Urban areas in the state are governed by 27 [[Municipal corporation (India)|municipal corporations]], 222 [[Municipal council (India)|municipal councils]], four [[Nagar Panchayat (Notified Area Council)|nagar panchayats]], and seven [[cantonment board]]s.<ref name=proportion>((cite web|title=Population proportion in Maharashtra |url=http://www.unicef.org/india/Population_Demographics.pdf |publisher=[[UNICEF]] |accessdate=19 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228164711/http://www.unicef.org/india/Population_Demographics.pdf |archivedate=28 December 2013 ))</ref><ref name="divisions">((cite web|url=https://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/mahInfo/state.php |title=State body info |publisher=Government of Maharashtra |access-date=19 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615064744/http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/mahInfo/state.php |archive-date=15 June 2011 ))</ref>
Although Maharashtra had gram panchayat with elected members since 1961, the 73rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution (1993) put in place a statutory requiring 33% of seats on the panchayats be reserved for women, the scheduled castes, and the scheduled tribes.<ref name="Baviskar 2009 Page 318">((cite book |last1=Baviskar |first1=B.S. |last2=Mathew |first2=George |title=Inclusion and exclusion in local governance : field studies from rural India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EmWaEVcTvJ0C&q=maharashtra+%22gram+panchayat%22&pg=PP1 |date=2009 |pages=318 |location=London |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=9788178298603 |access-date=18 March 2022))</ref>

In addition, 33% of the sarpanch (panchayat chief) positions were also reserved for women.<ref>((cite journal |author1=Dhanmanjiri Sathe |author2=Stephan Klasen |author3=Jan Priebe |author4=Mithila Biniwale |title=Can the Female Sarpanch Deliver? Evidence from Maharashtra |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23391421 |date=16 March 2013 |pages=50–57 |journal=[[Economic and Political Weekly]] |volume=48 |number=11 |jstor=23391421 |access-date=18 March 2022))</ref>
Although the amendment boosted the number of women leaders at the village level, there have been cases of harassment by male members of the panchayat towards the female members of the organizations.<ref>((Cite journal|last=Ahlawat|first=Sumitra|date=2019-03-03|title=Impact of the 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution on Women Empowerment: An Analytical Study|url=http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bb75/a393a60dc17946515689d578e01ee813c682.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303204341/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bb75/a393a60dc17946515689d578e01ee813c682.pdf|archive-date=2019-03-03|url-status=deviated|journal=International Journal of Enhanced Research in Educational Development|volume=1|issue=3|pages=17–20|issn=2320-8708|s2cid=212565216))</ref>

The administration in each district is headed by a [[District Collector|district collector]], who belongs to the [[Indian Administrative Service]] and is assisted by several officers belonging to Maharashtra state services.<ref>((cite web|title=District Deputy Commissioner|url=http://ahd.maharashtra.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=284&lang=en|publisher=Ministry of Rural Development|access-date=20 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217151959/http://ahd.maharashtra.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=284&lang=en|archive-date=17 December 2014|url-status=live))</ref> The [[Superintendent of police (India)|Superintendent of Police]]—an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the [[Maharashtra Police]] service—maintains law and order in addition to other related issues in each district. The Divisional Forest Officer—an officer belonging to the [[Indian Forest Service]]—manages the forests, environment, and wildlife of the district, assisted by the officers of Maharashtra Forest Service and Maharashtra Forest Subordinate Service.<ref>((cite web|title=Office of Chief Conservator of Forests & Deputy Director General, Social Forestry |url=http://aurangabad.nic.in/htmldocs/Website_tender_revised_v2.pdf |publisher=[[Government of Maharashtra]] |access-date=20 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217145922/http://aurangabad.nic.in/htmldocs/Website_tender_revised_v2.pdf |archive-date=17 December 2014 ))</ref> Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department, such as Public Works, Health, Education, Agriculture, and Animal Husbandry.<ref>((cite web|title=Sectoral Skill Development Committees |url=http://www.nsdcindia.org/pdf/maha-executive-summary.pdf |publisher=National Skill Development Corporation |access-date=20 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402190502/http://nsdcindia.org/pdf/maha-executive-summary.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2014 ))</ref><ref>((cite web|title=Regional Structure, Growth and Convergence of Income in Maharashtra |url=http://www.hss.iitb.ac.in/ties07/paper/ts2/psE/2.pdf |publisher=Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai |access-date=20 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217144446/http://www.hss.iitb.ac.in/ties07/paper/ts2/psE/2.pdf |archive-date=17 December 2014 ))</ref>

((chart top|width=100%|Administrative Divisions in India|collapsed=no))
((chart/start|align=center))
((chart| | | | | | |ROI|ROI=[[India|Republic of India]]))
((chart| | | | | |,|-|^|-|.))
((chart| | | | |ST| |UT|ST=[[States of India|States]]|UT=[[Union territories of India|Union Territories]]))
((chart| | | | | |`|-|v|-|'))
((chart| | | | | | |DV| | | | | | | | |DV=[[Administrative divisions of India|Divisions]]))
((chart| | | | | | | |!| ))
((chart| | | | | | |DT| | | | | | | | |DT=[[List of districts in India|Districts or Zilla]]))
((chart| |,|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|v|-|-|.))
((chart|BK| |MC| |MS| |CC|BK=[[Panchayat Samiti (Block)|District Sub-divisions]]<br />(Tehsils/Talukas)|MC=[[Municipal Corporations in India|Municipal Corporations]]<br />(Maha-Nagar-Palika)|MS=[[Nagar Palika|Municipalities]]<br />(Nagar-Palika)|CC=[[Nagar panchayat|City Councils]]<br />(Nagar-Panchayat)))
((chart| |!| | | |`|-|-|-|+|-|-|'))
((chart|VS| | | | | |WS|VS=Villages<br />(Gram/Gaon)|WS=Wards))
((chart/end))
((chart bottom))

==Political parties and alliances==
[[File:Sharad Pawar.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Sharad Pawar]], a dominant political figure of Maharashtrian politics for more than forty years]]
[[File:Bal Thackeray at 70th Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards (1) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Bal Thackeray]], founder of [[Shiv Sena]]]]
The [[Indian National Congress]] (INC) party has dominated the politics of Maharashtra since the state's inception in 1960, as well as its predecessor of [[Bombay State]].<ref>((cite book|last1=Brass|first1=Paul R.|title=The politics of India since independence|date=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=[New Delhi]|isbn=978-0521543057|page=127|edition=2nd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dtKe6XV8z7wC&q=maharashtra+caste&pg=PR10|accessdate=1 February 2017))</ref> Maharashtra became a bastion of Congress party stalwarts such as [[Yashwantrao Chavan]], [[Vasantdada Patil]], [[Vasantrao Naik]], and [[Shankarrao Chavan]].

[[Sharad Pawar]] has been a significant personality in state and national politics for nearly forty years. During his career, he has split Congress twice, with important consequences for state politics.<ref>((cite journal|last1=Wilkinson|first1=Steven|title=Elections in India: Behind the Congress Comeback|journal=Journal of Democracy|date=January 2005|volume=16|issue=1|pages=153–167|doi=10.1353/jod.2005.0018|s2cid=154957863))</ref><ref>((cite journal|last1=Kamat|first1=AR|title=Politico-economic developments in Maharashtra: a review of the post-independence period, - JSTOR|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|date=October 1980|volume=15|issue=40|pages=1669–1678|jstor=4369147))</ref> After his second parting from the Congress party in 1999, Pawar formed the [[Nationalist Congress Party]] (NCP) but joined a [[Indian National Congress|Congress]]-led coalition to form the state government after the 1999 Assembly elections.

The Congress party enjoyed nearly unchallenged dominance of the state political landscape until 1995, when the coalition of [[Shiv Sena]] and the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) secured an overwhelming majority in the state, beginning a period of coalition governments.<ref>((cite journal|last1=Palshikar |first1=S|last2=Birmal|first2=N|title=Maharashtra: Towards a New Party System|journal=Economic and Political Weekly |date=18 December 2004|volume=39|issue=51|pages=5467–5472|jstor=4415934))</ref> Shiv Sena was the larger party in the coalition. From 1999 until 2014, the NCP and INC formed one coalition while Shiv Sena and the BJP formed another for three successive elections, which the INC–NCP alliance won. [[Prithviraj Chavan]] of the Congress party was the last chief minister of Maharashtra under the Congress–NCP alliance that ruled until 2014.<ref>((cite news|url=http://www.firstpost.com/politics/clean-yet-invisible-prithviraj-chavan-quits-as-maharashtra-cm-did-anyone-notice-1732223.html|title=Clean yet invisible: Prithviraj Chavan quits as CM, did anyone notice?|work=Firstpost|date=27 September 2014|accessdate=29 September 2014))</ref><ref>((cite news|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/prithviraj-chavan-rivals-narayan-rane-maharashtra-assembly-polls/1/377333.html|title=Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan's rivals get key posts for Assembly polls|work=[[India Today]]|date=16 August 2014|accessdate=29 September 2014))</ref><ref>((cite news|url=http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main52.asp?filename=Ne280412Coverstory.asp|title=Right man in the wrong polity|work=[[Tehelka]]|date=28 April 2012|accessdate=29 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006113537/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main52.asp?filename=Ne280412Coverstory.asp|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead))</ref>

These alliances broke down over seat allocations for the [[2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election|2014 Assembly election]]. In the election, the most seats (122) went to the BJP, who initially formed a minority government under [[Devendra Fadnavis]]. Still, in December 2014, Shiv Sena entered the government and provided a comfortable majority in the Assembly to the Fadnavis-led government.<ref>((cite news|title=BJP, Shiv Sena announce alliance in Maharashtra|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bjp-shiv-sena-alliance-in-maharashtra-devendra-fadnavis-uddhav-thackeray/1/405098.html|publisher=IndiaToday.in Mumbai |date=4 December 2014|access-date=May 1, 2015))</ref>

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and Shiv Sena fought under the NDA banner, whereas the Congress and NCP were part of the UPA. The two alliances remained intact for the Legislative Assembly elections in October 2019. The BJP and Shiv Sena gained the majority of seats in the Assembly but could not form a government due to squabbles between the two parties. The BJP–Shiv Sena alliance ended in early November 2019, with Shiv Sena subsequently forming a new partnership with its longtime rivals, the NCP and Congress, to form the new state government on 28 November 2019. In June 2022, this government collapsed when the majority of the Shiv Sena legislative party, under [[Eknath Shinde]], broke away to form a new coalition with the BJP.

Other parties in the state include the [[All India Forward Bloc]], the [[Maharashtra Navnirman Sena]], the [[Communist Party of India]], the [[Peasants and Workers Party of India|Peasant and Workers Party]], the [[All India Majlis-e Ittihad al-Muslimin]], the [[Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi]], the [[Samajwadi Party]], various factions of the [[Dalit]]-dominated [[Republican Party of India]], the [[Bahujan Samaj Party]], and the [[Socialist Party (India)|Socialist Party]].<ref>((cite web|title=List of Political Parties and Election Symbols main Notification Dated 18.01.2013|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/ElectoralLaws/OrdersNotifications/ElecSym19012013_eng.pdf|publisher=Election Commission of India|accessdate=9 May 2013|location=India|year=2013))</ref>

==Dominant groups in Maharashtra politics==
After the state of Maharashtra was formed on 1 May 1960, the INC was long without a significant challenger. The party also enjoyed overwhelming support from the state's influential [[Cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra|sugar cooperatives]], as well as thousands of other [[Cooperative movement in India|cooperatives]], such as rural agricultural cooperatives involved in the marketing of dairy and vegetable produce, cooperative banks, and [[credit union]]s.<ref>((cite book|last1=Brass|first1=Paul R.|title=The politics of India since independence|date=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=[New Delhi]|isbn=978-0521543057|page=142|edition=2nd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dtKe6XV8z7wC&pg=PR10|accessdate=1 February 2017))</ref>

For the better part of the late-colonial and early post-independence periods in [[Bombay State]] and its successor, Maharashtra State, the politics of the state have been dominated by the mainly rural Maratha–Kunbi caste,<ref>((cite book|last1=Mishra|first1=Sumita|title=Grassroot politics in India|date=2000|publisher=Mittal Publications|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788170997320|page=27|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o9kQcBmKcOsC&pg=PA27))</ref> which accounts for 31% of the population of Maharashtra. They dominated the cooperative institutions, and, with the resultant economic power, controlled politics from the village level to the State Legislative Assembly and the [[Lok Sabha]].<ref name="auto">((cite book|last1=Vora|first1=Rajendra|editor1-last=Kumar|editor1-first=Sanjay|editor2-last=Jaffrelot|editor2-first=Christophe|title=Rise of the plebeians? : the changing face of Indian legislative assemblies|date=2009|publisher=Routledge|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-0415460927|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=78rfCgAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|chapter=Chapter 7 Maharashtra or Maratha Rashtra))</ref><ref name="Sirsikar 1999 Page 9">((cite book |last1=Sirsikar |first1=V. M. |editor1-last=Kulkarni |editor1-first=A. R. |editor2-last=Wagle |editor2-first=N.K. |title=State intervention and popular response : western India in the nineteenth century |chapter=2. Political Culture of Maharashtra |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t7f0JEWk6HMC&pg=PR7 |date=1999 |page=9 |location=Mumbai |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7154-835-4 |access-date=18 March 2022))</ref>

In 2016, of the 366 total [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|members of the Legislative Assembly]] (MLAs) (the Legislative Assembly has 288 MLAs and the Legislative Council has 78), 169 (46%) were Marathas.<ref>((cite news|title=Maratha morcha: Over 150 MLAs, MLCs set to join the march in Nagpur on Wednesday|url=http://www.firstpost.com/politics/maratha-morcha-over-150-mlas-mlcs-set-to-join-the-march-in-nagpur-on-wednesday-3154804.html|accessdate=27 October 2017|work=Firstpost|date=13 December 2016))</ref> Major past political figures of the Congress party from Maharashtra—such as [[Keshavrao Jedhe]], [[Yashwantrao Chavan]],[[Vasantdada Patil]],<ref name="Sirsikar 1999 Page 9" /> [[Shankarrao Chavan]], [[Vilasrao Deshmukh]], and [[Sharad Pawar]]—have been from this group. Of the 19 [[List of chief ministers of Maharashtra|chief ministers]] so far, as many as 10 (55%) have been Maratha.<ref name="A quota for the ruling class">((cite news|last1=Kakodkar|first1=Priyanka|title=A quota for the ruling class|url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-quota-for-the-ruling-class/article6163911.ece|accessdate=27 October 2017|work=The Hindu|date=1 July 2014|language=en-IN))</ref> Since the 1980s, politicians from this group have also been active in setting up private educational institutions.<ref>((cite journal|last1=Dahiwale|first1=S. M.|title=Consolidation of Maratha Dominance in Maharashtra Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 30, No. 6 (Feb. 11, 1995), pp. 336-342 Published by|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|date=1995|volume=30|issue=6|pages=336–342|jstor=4402382))</ref><ref>((cite book|last1=Kurtz|first1=Donald V.|title=Contradictions and conflict : a dialectical political anthropology of a University in Western India|date=1994|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden [u.a.]|isbn=978-9004098282|page=50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0X5DquN8LkIC&pg=PR7))</ref><ref>((cite book|title=Language and society : steps towards an integrated theory|last1=Singh|first1=R.|last2=Lele|first2=J.K.|date=1989|publisher=E.J. Brill|location=Leiden|isbn=9789004087897|pages=32–42|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1PLiAlGzLFQC&q=chitpavan))</ref>

Following disputes between Sharad Pawar and the INC President, [[Sonia Gandhi]], the state's political status quo was disturbed when Pawar defected from the INC, which was perceived as the vehicle of the [[Nehru–Gandhi family|Nehru–Gandhi dynasty]], to form the Nationalist Congress Party. The Maratha community nevertheless dominates this offshoot of the Congress party.

Shiv Sena was formed in the 1960s by [[Bal Thackeray|Balashaheb Thackerey]], a cartoonist and journalist, to advocate and agitate for the interests of [[Marathi people]] in [[Mumbai]]. Over the following decades, Shiv Sena slowly expanded and took over the then-[[Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation|Mumbai Municipal Corporation]] in the 1980s. Although the original base of the party was among lower middle and working-class Marathi people in Mumbai and the surrounding suburbs, the party's leadership came from educated groups. However, since the 1990s there has been a shift in leadership, with many middle-level leaders creating personal fiefdoms for themselves and their families using strong-arm tactics. Hansen has termed this as the "dada-ization" of the party.<ref name="Hansen2018">((cite book|author=Thomas Blom Hansen|title=Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bf5ZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|date=5 June 2018|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-18862-1|pages=102–103))</ref> By 2012, based on the number of Marathas elected on the Shiv Sena ticket in the previous few elections, the party was emerging as another Maratha party.<ref name="JaffrelotKumar2012">((cite book|author1=Christophe Jaffrelot|author2=Sanjay Kumar|title=Rise of the Plebeians?: The Changing Face of the Indian Legislative Assemblies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=78rfCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA240|date=4 May 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-51662-7|pages=240–))</ref>

The BJP is closely related to the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) and is part of the [[Sangh Parivar]]. The party initially derived its support from the urban upper castes, such as Brahmins and non-Maharashtrians. In recent years the party has penetrated the Maratha community by fielding Maratha candidates in elections.<ref name="auto"/>

The BJP–Shiv Sena coalition came to power at the state level in 1995, which was a blow to the Congress party. In 2006, a split within Shiv Sena emerged when Bal Thackeray anointed his son [[Uddhav Thackeray]] as his successor over his nephew [[Raj Thackeray]]. Raj Thackeray then left the party and formed a new party called [[Maharashtra Navnirman Sena]] (MNS). Raj Thackeray, like his uncle, has also tried to win support from the Marathi community by embracing anti-immigrant sentiment in Maharashtra, for instance against [[Bihari people|Biharis]].<ref>((cite web | url=https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-juhu-beach-decks-up-for-worshipping-the-sun-god-1302371 | title=Juhu beach decks up for worshipping the sun god ))</ref>

The second-largest community after the Maratha–Kunbi is the former [[Mahar]] community, now known as [[Navayana|Neo-Buddhist]]. The community falls under the [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|scheduled caste]] (SC) group. Since the time of [[B. R. Ambedkar]], this community has supported various factions of the [[Republican Party of India]] (RPI). There are 25 seats reserved for the SC. Parties such as NCP, BJP, and the Congress field candidates from other SC groups like [[Mang (caste)|Mang]] and [[Chamar|Chambhar]] for the reserved seats to thwart the candidates of the RPI.<ref name="auto"/>

===Nepotism and dynasticism ===
((Main|Political families of Maharashtra))
[[File:Nitesh Rane's wedding reception.jpg|thumb|right|Long-standing Maharashtra politician, [[Narayan Rane]], with his politician sons and other family members]]

Although a parliamentary democracy, Indian politics has increasingly become dynastic, possibly due to the absence of a party organization, independent civil society associations that mobilize support for the party, and centralized financing of elections.<ref name="ppq.sagepub.com">((cite journal|last1=Chhibber|first1=Pradeep|title=Dynastic parties Organization, finance and impact|journal=Party Politics |date=March 2013|volume=19|issue=2|pages=277–295|doi=10.1177/1354068811406995|s2cid=144781444))</ref> This practice is fairly common in all political parties in Maharashtra.<ref name="Denyer2014">((cite book|author=Simon Denyer|title=Rogue Elephant: Harnessing the Power of India's Unruly Democracy|url=https://archive.org/details/rogueelephanthar0000deny|url-access=registration|date=24 June 2014|publisher=Bloomsbury USA|isbn=978-1-62040-608-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/rogueelephanthar0000deny/page/115 115]–116))</ref> On the national level, family members have led the [[Indian National Congress|Congress party]] for most of the period since 1978, when [[Indira Gandhi]] floated the then [[Congress (I)]] faction of the party.<ref>((cite book|last1=Basu|first1=Amrita|editor= Kanchan Chandra |author-link=Kanchan Chandra |title=Democratic Dynasties: State, Party and Family in Contemporary Indian Politics|date=2016|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|location=Cambridge, UK|isbn=978-1-107-12344-1|page=136|edition=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tesIDAAAQBAJ&q=sonia&pg=PR10|access-date=23 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110030054/https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tesIDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR10&dq=%22political+dynasties%22+india&ots=panvSUPVV9&sig=rBLRMVvTQ2f7mX6q3bm6Gj6eyfw#v=onepage&q=sonia&f=false|archive-date=10 November 2019|url-status=live))</ref> The ruling [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] also features several senior leaders who are dynasts.<ref>((Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/article/918234/is-the-bjp-less-dynastic-than-the-congress-not-so-lok-sabha-data-shows|title = Is the BJP less dynastic than the Congress? Not so, Lok Sabha data shows| date=29 March 2019 ))</ref><ref name="Chandra2016">((cite book|author=Kanchan Chandra|title=Democratic Dynasties: State, Party, and Family in Contemporary Indian Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VwbFDAAAQBAJ&pg=PR10|date=28 April 2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-316-59212-0|page=131,136))</ref>

In the 2019 elections to the Lok Sabha, 42% of [[MP (India)|MPs]] elected from Maharashtra belonged to political families. According to John Mohan Razu, parties mainly choose candidates from political families to maximize the party's chances at the ballot box. In most local cases, being a dynast remains more of an asset than a liability in the Indian context.<ref>Verniers, G., & Jaffrelot, C. (2019). Explained: Why so many MPs are dynasts. The Indian Express, 27.</ref> The dynastic phenomenon is seen from the national level down to the district level and even at the village level. The three-tier structure of [[Panchayati raj|Panchayati Raj]] created in the 1960s also helped to create and consolidate this phenomenon in rural areas. Apart from the government, political families in the state also control cooperative institutions (mainly cooperative sugar factories), district cooperative banks, and in some cases local unions.<ref>Palshikar, S., 2004. Issues in an Issue-less Election: Assembly Polls in Maharashtra. Economic and Political Weekly, pp.4399-4403.</ref><ref>((cite book|author=Thomas Blom Hansen|title=Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bf5ZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|date=5 June 2018|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-18862-1|pages=103–104))</ref>

[[Sharad Pawar]], the founder of the NCP, has many members of his family—including his daughter [[Supriya Sule]] and nephew [[Ajit Pawar]]—holding prominent positions in the party.<ref name="Chandra2016" /> Senior politicians promote their relatives in other state districts in their local quasi-fiefdoms. For example, in the [[Akluj]] area of [[Solapur district]], candidates have to be from the Mohite-Patil clan or approved by them.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mUywDAAAQBAJ&q=maharashtra+fiefdom&pg=PT9 Aron, S. (2016). The Dynasty: Born to Rule. Hay House, Inc]</ref>

Journalist Gopal Joshi argues that ideology has taken a backseat in state politics with some dynastic families—such as the Vikhe Patil of Ahmadnagar district—making a journey from communism in the first generation to the rightwing BJP in the present generation.<ref>((cite news |last=Joshi |first=Gopal |date=15 January 2023 |title=घराणेशाहींचं 'नगर' : नात्यागोत्यातल्या तंगडेओढीत मुख्यमंत्रिपद हाती न लागलेला जिल्हा (Nagar: the district of dynasticism:Family feuds making the district lose the post of Chief minister) |url=https://www.bbc.com/marathi/articles/cv24j2d1q2po |work= |location= |access-date=))</ref> Although dynasticism is a powerful factor in the state politics, feuds amongst family members can lead to members launching their own parties, such as when [[Raj Thackeray]] left Shiv Sena and formed the [[Maharashtra Navnirman Sena]].<ref>((Cite journal|last=Palshikar|first=Suhas|date=December 2005|title=Shiv Sena's Dilemmas|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4417480|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|volume=40|issue=49|pages=5144–5146|jstor=4417480 |issn=0012-9976))</ref><ref>Aron, S., 2016. The Dynasty: Born to Rule. Hay House, Inc. In other cases, family members have contested on the ticket of different parties for the same seat.</ref>

==2014 Assembly election==
((main|2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election))
[[File:Devendra Fadnavis (2017).png|thumb|right|upright|[[Devendra Fadnavis]], former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and current [[List of deputy chief ministers of Maharashtra|Deputy Chief Minister]]]]
The 2014 Assembly election followed the landslide national victory for the BJP in the [[2014 Indian general election|2014 Lok Sabha election]], which saw [[Narendra Modi]] elected as Prime Minister. All major parties in the state (BJP, Shivsena, INC, and NCP) contested the elections independently, leading to a complex and much-contested election. The BJP put together an alliance of [[forward caste]]s, the [[Other Backward Class]] (OBC), and, to some extent, [[Dalit]] to fight the Maratha-led Congress and NCP. The results were significant in that the BJP received the highest number of seats, despite being historically smaller than Shiv Sena in the state. Although the BJP still required Shiv Sena's support to form a majority, it progressed from being a minor party in state politics to the party of the chief minister, [[Devendra Fadnavis]], who held that position until November 2019.<ref name="Jha2017">((cite book|author=Prashant Jha|title=How the BJP Wins: Inside IndiaÕs Greatest Election Machine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GK9oDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1|year=2017|publisher=Juggernaut Books|isbn=978-93-86228-45-1|pages=97–98))</ref>

==2019 Lok Sabha elections==

In April 2019, voting for the 48 [[2019 Indian general election|Lok Sabha]] seats from Maharashtra was held in four phases.

Despite their differences, the BJP and Shiv Sena once again contested the elections together under the [[National Democratic Alliance]] (NDA) banner.<ref>((cite news |title=Opinion Poll: BJP-Shiv Sena may lose 8 seats in Maharashtra, Congress-NCP to improve figures |url=https://www.newsnation.in/election/lok-sabha-election-2019/opinion-poll-lok-sabha-elections-2019-bjp-shiv-sena-seats-maharashtra-congress-ncp-sharad-pawar-devendra-fadnavis--article-216712.html |issue=March 23 |publisher=New Nation |date=2019))</ref> Similarly, the Congress and NCP had their seat-sharing arrangement. The breakaway party of Raj Thakeray, [[Maharashtra Navnirman Sena]], did not contest any seats and instead urged their supporters to vote for the NCP–Congress alliance, with Thakeray campaigning for candidates belonging to these parties.<ref>((cite news |title=Raj Thackeray, Dhananjay Munde in demand to campaign for Cong |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/maharashtra/raj-thackeray-dhananjay-munde-in-demand-to-campaign-for-cong/articleshow/68833350.cms |work=April 11 |agency=PTI |date=2019))</ref>

The election results on 23 May 2019 were another landslide victory for the NDA, with the BJP and Shiv Sena winning 23 and 18 seats, respectively, out of the total of the state's 48 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress party won only one seat in the state, whereas the NCP won five seats from its stronghold of western Maharashtra.<ref>((Cite news |title=2019 Lok Sabha Elections |url=https://www.esakal.com/loksabha-2019/result |date=2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608010227/https://www.esakal.com/loksabha-2019/result |archive-date=2019-06-08 |url-status=dead |website=[[Sakal]] |language=mr |access-date=18 March 2022))</ref>

==2019 Vidhan Sabha elections==
((main|2019 Maharashtra political crisis))
[[File:Uddhav Thackeray.png|thumb|right|upright|Uddhav Thackeray, 19th [[List of Chief Ministers of Maharashtra|Chief Minister of Maharashtra]] ]]
The BJP–Shiv Sena and NCP–Congress alliances remained intact for the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) elections in October 2019. The BJP and Shiv Sena gained the majority of seats in the Assembly but could not form a government due to squabbles between the two parties. The BJP, with 105 seats, was far short of the 145 seats required to form a majority, and declined to form a minority government. At the same time, Shiv Sena started talks with the NCP and Congress to form a government.

On 23 November 2019, BJP formed a government with support from NCP, with [[Ajit Pawar]] as Deputy Chief Minister. This government collapsed three days later, with Chief Minister [[Devendra Fadnavis]] and Ajit Pawar resigning their respective positions. On 28 November 2019, the governor swore in [[Uddhav Thackeray]], the Shiv Sena chief, as the new chief minister of Maharashtra. Thackeray's governing coalition included Shiv Sena, NCP, INC, and several independent members of the Legislative Assembly.<ref>((cite news |title=Political drama has gripped the home state of Bollywood |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/11/29/political-drama-has-gripped-the-home-state-of-bollywood |accessdate=30 November 2019 |issue=30 November 2019 |publisher=The Economist))</ref><ref>((cite news |title=Maharashtra: With 169 votes, Uddhav-led govt sails through Assembly floor test, BJP stages walkout |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/maharashtra-assembly-floor-test-uddhav-thackeray-fadnavis-bjp-shiv-sena-ncp-congressmaharashtra-uddhav-led-mahavikasaghadi-govt-wins-trust-vote-bjp-stages-walkout-6144236/ |accessdate=30 November 2019 |work=Indian Express |issue=30 November 2019 |publisher=Indian Express newspapers))</ref>

==2022 change of government==
In late June 2022, [[Eknath Shinde]], a senior [[Shiv Sena]] leader, and the majority of [[Member of the Legislative Assembly|MLAs]] from Shiv Sena, allied with the BJP.<ref>((Cite news |last=Karthikeyan |first=Suchitra |date=2022-06-22 |title=Maharashtra Political Crisis: MVA slides into minority; here's how the numbers stand |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/maharashtra-political-crisis-mva-slides-into-minority-heres-how-the-numbers-stand/article65548913.ece |access-date=2023-03-23 |issn=0971-751X))</ref><ref>((Cite news |date=2022-06-22 |title=Maharashtra: The political crisis brewing in India's richest state |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61891133 |access-date=2023-03-23))</ref> Governor [[Bhagat Singh Koshyari]] called for a trust vote, an action that would later on be described as a "sad spectacle" by Supreme Court of India<ref>((Cite news |last=Rajagopal |first=Krishnadas |date=2023-03-15 |title=Governors cannot precipitate the fall of elected governments: Supreme Court |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/governors-cannot-precipitate-the-fall-of-elected-governments-supreme-court/article66623480.ece |access-date=2023-03-23 |issn=0971-751X))</ref> and draw criticism from political observers.<ref>((Cite news |date=2023-03-21 |title=Should India abolish its state governors? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65014164 |access-date=2023-03-23))</ref> [[Uddhav Thackeray]] resigned his post as chief minister and MLC membership ahead of a [[Motion of no confidence|no-confidence motion]] on 29 June 2022.<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-06-29 |title=Not keen on games, but not going away forever: Uddhav Thackeray's parting note as Maha CM |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/uddhav-thackeray-maharashtra-cm-floor-test-101656518180649.html |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en))</ref> Shinde subsequently formed a new coalition with the BJP, and was sworn in as the chief minister on 30 June 2022.<ref name=":0">((Cite web |title=Eknath Shinde Takes Oath As Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis His Deputy |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/eknath-shinde-is-new-maharashtra-chief-minister-oath-at-7-30-pm-3115030 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=NDTV.com))</ref> BJP leader [[Devendra Fadnavis]] was given the post of [[Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra|Deputy Chief Minister]] in the new government.<ref name=":0" />

Thackeray filed a lawsuit in [[Supreme Court of India]] claiming that Shinde and his group's actions meant that they were disqualified under [[Anti-defection law (India)|anti-defection law]]. In response, Shinde claimed that he had not defected, but rather represented the true Shiv Sena party.<ref name=":1">((Cite web |last=NETWORK |first=LIVELAW NEWS |date=2023-03-16 |title=Shiv Sena Case : Supreme Court Constitution Bench Reserves Judgment |url=https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/shiv-sena-case-supreme-court-constitution-bench-reserves-judgment-uddhav-thackeray-eknath-shinde-maharashtra-223929 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.livelaw.in |language=en))</ref> The Supreme Court delivered its verdict in May 2023, noting that the Maharashtra Governor and Assembly Speaker((Who?|date=January 2024)) did not act as per the law. However, the court said it could not order the restoration of the Uddhav Thackeray government as Thackeray resigned without facing a floor test following Shinde's move to depart Shiv Sena and split the party.<ref>((cite news |date= 11 May 2023 |title=Maharashtra Governor, Speakers' Actions Illegal But Can't Restore Uddhav Govt: Supreme Court |url=https://thewire.in/law/supreme-court-shiv-sena-uddhav-thackeray-eknath-shinde |access-date= July 7, 2023))</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>((Cite news |last=Rajagopal |first=Krishnadas |date=2023-03-16 |title=Supreme Court reserves judgment on Maharashtra political row |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/absolutely-no-freedom-in-regional-parties-many-run-by-single-family-sc-on-maharashtra-row/article66628047.ece |access-date=2023-03-23 |issn=0971-751X))</ref><ref>((cite news |last=Mahapatra|first=Dhananjay  |date= |title=Sena vs Sena: Supreme Court slams governor's role, but spare |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/100169606.cms |work= The Times of India |location=Mumbai |access-date= 2023-07-07))</ref> In its verdict, the Supreme Court ordered the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to decide the matter of disqualification of the 16 MLAs.<ref>((Cite web |date=2023-06-11 |title=Sena vs Sena: Month after SC verdict, Speaker yet to kick off process in MLAs' disqualification case as MVA cries foul |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/shiv-sena-supreme-court-verdict-speaker-mla-disqualification-case-mva-8657506/ |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=The Indian Express |language=en))</ref><ref>((Cite web |date=2023-07-05 |title=Uddhav faction moves SC to expedite disqualification pleas against Shinde, others |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/supreme-court-approached-for-time-bound-decision-on-disqualification-petitions-against-shiv-sena-legislators-101688526493425.html |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en))</ref> Speaker [[Rahul Narwekar]], after hearing petitions from both factions, gave his verdict on the matter on 10 January 2024, in which he declared the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena, and therefore entitled to the Shiv Sena party name and symbol.<ref>((Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Padmakshi |date=2023-07-10 |title=Shiv Sena Rift : Supreme Court To Hear Uddhav's Plea Against ECI Order Recognising Shinde Faction On July 31 |url=https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/shiv-sena-rift-supreme-court-to-hear-uddhavs-plea-against-eci-order-recognising-shinde-faction-on-july-31-232319 |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=www.livelaw.in |language=en))</ref><ref>((Cite web |last=Oturkar|first=Vallabh |date=2024-01-10 |title=Sena vs Sena: Speaker says Shinde Sena 'real party', dismisses all pleas for disqualification|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maharashtra-speaker-verdict-shiv-sena-disqualification-rahul-narwekar-9103444/))
</ref>

==2023 NCP split==
In July 2023, [[Nationalist Congress Party|NCP]] leader [[Ajit Pawar]] and several NCP State Assembly members joined the BJP–Shiv Sena government led by Eknath Shinde.<ref>[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ncp-splits-ajit-pawar-to-join-nda-govt-take-oath-as-deputy-cm-of-maharashtra/articleshow/101431751.cms Ajit Pawar Maharashtra Deputy Cm: Ajit Pawar joins NDA govt, takes oath as deputy CM of Maharashtra - The Economic Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Sharad Pawar, the founder of NCP, has condemned the move and expelled the rebels. Ajit Pawar received support from the majority of legislators and officeholders of the party.<ref>((cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date= |title=-ncp-a-day-after-sharad-pawars-fightback-nephew-ajit-again-approaches-election-commission-for-party-symbol|url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ncp-vs-ncp-a-day-after-sharad-pawars-fightback-nephew-ajit-again-approaches-election-commission-for-party-symbol/articleshow/101576800.cms|work= Times of india |location=Mumbai |access-date=7 July 2023))</ref> On 7 February 2024, [[Election Commission of India|The Election Commission Of India (ECI)]] awarded the party name and symbol to the faction headed by Ajit Pawar.The faction led by Sharad Pawar will  be henceforth known as Nationalist Congress Party (SharadChandra Pawar)<ref>((cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date= |title=Sharad Pawar faction gets new name day after Ajit camp declared ‘real’ NCP
 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nationalist-congress-party-sharadchandra-pawar-ncp-9149260/ |work=Express News service |location=New Delhi |access-date=2024-02-07))</ref>

==See also==
((commons category))
*[[2009 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election]]
*[[2004 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election]]
*[[List of chief ministers of Maharashtra]]
*[[Panchayat Samiti (Block)|Panchayat Samiti]]
*[[Gram panchayat]]

==References==
((Reflist))

==Further reading==
* ((cite book |last1=Vora |first1=Rajendra |editor1-last=Kumar |editor1-first=Sanjay |editor2-last=Jaffrelot |editor2-first=Christophe |chapter=Chapter 7 Maharashtra or Maratha Rashtra |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=78rfCgAAQBAJ&pg=PP1 |title=Rise of the plebeians? : the changing face of Indian legislative assemblies |date=2009 |location=New Delhi |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0415460927))

((Politics of India by state or territory))

[[Category:Politics of Maharashtra| ]]
[[Category:Marathi people]]

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