No easy contests!

The year 2024 has witnessed a series of crucial elections—both in India and abroad—including the much-awaited General Elections.

In such a decorated cycle of elections, democracy comes alive in its bright colours. As the year approaches its end, two Indian states—Maharashtra and Jharkhand—are gearing up for yet another festival of democracy in what is literally called a festive season.

Maharashtra, which is renowned as India's economic hub, holds a prominent role in national politics, thanks to its size and political influence. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contesting 148 seats out of 288, it's clear the party is keen to cement its dominance alongside Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the ruling Mahayuti alliance. The opposition coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, will need to rely on a greased-up campaign to retain relevance against a well-resourced BJP-led front. The scale of candidature in Maharashtra—nearly 8,000—speaks volumes about the highly competitive election environment in the state. This also mirrors the fragmentation of power in Maharashtra, where once-unified entities such as the Shiv Sena and NCP are now ready to enter the fray with their split versions, for the first time in assembly elections.