Maharashtra elections

With the performance of BJP in the 2024 general elections and the subsequent poor performance in the bypolls (won only 2/13), they sure have a lot hanging on Maharashtra elections. 

Why are these elections happening? 

Who are the competing parties and hows and why? 

The ruling BJP party coalition led by Eknath Shinde competes with Uddhav Thackerey led Shiv Sena from the INDIA bloc are the competing parties. It looks like Uddhav Thackerey wanted to be the cheif minister but was not allowed and thus established a separate party. 

An interesting nugget here is that both the parties are right leaning Hindutva parties. As Prof. Nageshwar succinctly put, they are ideological partners but political opponents!