Maharashtra Assembly elections: Voting begins for 288 seats

Voting for Maharashtra Assembly elections has been started. BJP is contesting 150 seats in 288-member Maharashtra Assembly while its ally Shiv Sena has fielded 124 candidates. The remaining seats have been left for smaller allies. Congress is contesting the polls in alliance with Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra. 40,000 police personnel have been deployed in Mumbai and drones will be used for surveillance as part of security arrangements. Maharashtra Police will also maintain strict vigil throughout the state with its personnel deployed for election duties in all districts along with home guards, companies of CAPF and CRPF for the polling day. It is also the first assembly polls after the BJP-led government's decision to repeal Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.