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Maharashtra is a state in western and central India, bordered in the north by Madhya Pradesh, in the east by Chhattisgarh, in the southeast by Telangana, and in the south by Karnataka. Due to its strategic location, it has become an industrial hub of India. It is India’s third-largest state by land area and the second-most populous state, with a population of 11.24 crore people. Mumbai is the state capital of Maharashtra.
In the growth and development of any state, the state government plays a pivotal role. It is because of the actions and decisions of the governments that a state thrives and functions well. The state of Maharashtra is no exception.
Understanding State Governance
A state is run by a governing body. In other words, the government of a state is the executive authority that is solely responsible for making all administrative, economic, and political decisions. The state of Maharashtra is run by a government elected by the people for five years. Presently, there are 288 MLAs in the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra who are elected directly from single-seat constituencies.
The government of Maharashtra has a huge impact on India’s politics because Maharashtra has a well-developed industrial, social, and physical infrastructure, with a Gross State Domestic Product of Rs.31.97 trillion (US$ 420 billion) in 2021–22, the largest among all the states. The Maharashtra government formation took place on May 1, 1960.
Overview of the Government of Maharashtra
The Government of Maharashtra, like the other Indian states, is governed by the Indian National Constitution. The Governor of Maharashtra is the head of state, with the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister assisting and advising him.
The Maharashtra Legislature consists of two Houses: the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) and the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council). These houses meet for their legislative sessions regularly in Mumbai and for winter sessions in Nagpur.
The executive authority of the Maharashtra Government is headed by the CM of Maharashtra and exercised by the cabinet ministers, who are chosen from among the 288 members of the legislative assembly for the tenure of five years. The state also has 48 seats in the Lok Sabha and 19 seats in the Rajya Sabha.
Maharashtra Government Formation
Maharashtra government was created on May 1, 1960, when the bilingual Bombay State was divided into mainly Marathi-speaking Maharashtra and Gujarati-speaking Gujarat.
In 1962, the Maharashtra State Assembly held its first election, electing 264 members. Since then, Maharashtra has seen 14 assembly elections and 29 chief ministers till now.
The most recent Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election took place on October 21, 2019, to elect all 288 members. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena obtained a majority after a 61.4% turnout in the election. However, the alliance was disbanded due to disagreements over government formation, resulting in a political crisis. Due to this, the president’s rule was enforced in the state since no party was able to get a majority mark.
On November 23, 2019, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Shri Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the CM of Maharashtra but resigned on November 26, 2019, due to the lack of a majority. Finally, the Shiv Sena, National Congress Party, and National Congress formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Following that, Shiv Sena’s popular leader Shri Uddhav Thackeray became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on November 28, 2019.
Political Leaders of Maharashtra
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Uddhav Thackeray, the current chief of Shiv Sena, is the CM of Maharashtra State. He is the son of the late Shri Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of the Shiv Sena. He is a well-known personality not only in Maharashtra but also in India.
During the 2002 Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections, he was handed over the responsibility of administering the party, and Shiv Sena did well. Shri Balasaheb Thackeray designated him as the next party chief of Shiv Sena in 2004. Thackeray has made major contributions to the overall well-being and interest of the farmers and other citizens of Maharashtra.
Governor of Maharashtra
The governor of Maharashtra serves as the ceremonial leader of the state. The present governor of Maharashtra is Shri Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, and he has been serving the state as the governor since September 5, 2019.
Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari served as the Governor of Goa from August 19, 2020, to July 14, 2021. This former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand is regarded as a people’s leader throughout Uttarakhand and is recognised for his wide range of public service activities.
Rural Government in Maharashtra
According to the 2011 Census, Maharashtra is home to 9.3% of India’s total population. The state has been divided into 36 districts for administrative purposes. There are 26 Municipal Corporations, 230 Municipal Councils, 111 Nagar Panchayats, and seven Cantonment Boards that govern the urban regions and 34 Zilla Parishads, 351 Panchayat Samitis, and 27,920 Gram Panchayats for local self-government in the rural areas.
Maharashtra’s rural governance is based on the Panchayati Raj system. The Gram Panchayat is at the village level, the Taluka Panchayat is at the Taluka level, and the Zilla Parishad is at the district level.
Conclusion
Maharashtra government is a prominent elected administration in India, Maharashtra being the backbone of the Indian industrial sector with the largest collection of GSDP in India. The state has a well-structured administration and political system, and the robust governance is the reason behind its growth and proper functioning. The Governor plays the role of the head of the state, and the Chief Minister along with his cabinet of ministers is the executive authority.
