How Maharashtra Assembly Constituencies Evolved From 264 To 288 Seats ? 

How Maharashtra Assembly Constituencies Evolved From 264 To 288 Seats ? 

How Maharashtra Assembly Constituencies Evolved From 264 To 288 Seats ? 

Share This News

Maharashtra Assembly Constituencies: The Maharashtra Assembly elections are held across 288 constituencies. The Election Commission organizes all aspects for each constituency, from polling stations to administrative and security arrangements. Typically, an average of 8–10 candidates contest in each constituency, totaling around 1,500 candidates across the state. However, Maharashtra did not originally have 288 constituencies; this number increased in phases.

Before Maharashtra’s formation, elections were held in 1957 for the Mumbai Province, which included parts of present-day Maharashtra and Gujarat. Congress won the majority, securing 135 out of 264 seats. The first independent Maharashtra state election was held in 1962 across 264 constituencies, divided into Mumbai, Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Western Maharashtra. Congress won 215 of these, with Yashwantrao Chavan as Chief Minister. In 1967, constituency numbers increased to 270. Following the 1971 census, a redistricting in 1973 set the number of constituencies to 288, which was first implemented in the 1978 elections after the Emergency period, with over 1,800 candidates contesting.

Since 1978, five state elections (1985, 1990, 1995, 1999, and 2004) have maintained this 288-seat structure. A new redistricting in 2008, based on the 2001 census, adjusted constituency boundaries without changing the total number of seats.

Currently, out of Maharashtra’s 288 constituencies, 29 are reserved for Scheduled Castes, 25 for Scheduled Tribes, and 234 are open for general candidates. Future redistricting, planned for 2026, is expected to impact the 2029 elections, which may include new constituencies with reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women, following Parliament’s recent bill approving 33% reservation for women.

Care
Bairagi art gub
mukun