Maharashtra polls: Friendly face-offs between allies in 29 out of 288 assembly seats

Friendly fights, however, are more complicated for the MVA, especially since smaller parties who are part of the INDIA bloc are also in the mix. The ruling Mahayuti's partners BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress, will contest alongside each other in six seats� Mankhurd Shivajinagar (Mumbai), Ashti (Beed), Sindhkhed Raja (Buldhana), Katol (Nagpur), Morshi (Amravati), Dindori (Nashik), Shrirampur (Ahmednagar) and Purandar (Pune).

The opposition alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress will engage in such face-offs in 21 assembly constituencies. One of the major fights will take place in the Nanded North seat, where Congress's Abdul Gaffoor is in the fray with Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sangita Patil.

In most constituencies, MVA allies are contesting alongside candidates fielded by the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWPI), Samajwadi Party and the Left.

The Samajwadi Party has fielded eight candidates and will be contesting alongside the Congress on six seats, namely Bhiwandi West (Thane), Tuljapur (Dharashiv), Aurangabad East (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Malegaon Central (Nashik) and with NCP SP in Paranda (Dharashiv), and Shiv Sena UBT in Dhule City assembly seats.

The PWPI has fielded candidates on 14 seats and is in contest with the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Sangole, Loha, Pen, Uran, Ausa, Malegaon Outer and Panvel, and with NCP (SP) in Katol.

A PWPI leader said they had sought six seats where they are in serious contest. "However, the bigger parties fielded candidates despite our strong presence in these constituencies," he said.

The leader said the party had to field candidates wherever it has influence, as it needed to fulfil the electoral criteria of getting the desired number of votes. Asked about the possibility of eating into the alliance's votes, he said, "It will happen. But what can we do? We sought seats from bigger parties, but they remained adamant."

In an interview earlier this year, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi said the Maha Vikas Aghadi should have fought the polls as a united front, but it had not even called his party for talks.

He said, "They (MVA) think they can win the polls on their strength, and there is no need for us (SP)." Solapur City Central will see a contest between the CPM's Narsaya Adam and the Congress, while in the Wani constituency, CPI's Hepat and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Derkar are in the fray.

In Mahayuti, the Shiv Sena and the NCP are in a friendly contest in Purandar, Dindori, Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Sindkhedraja and Shrirampur. The NCP and BJP will battle it in Katol, Morshi and Ashti.