Polls have opened in the Indian state of Maharashtra, with opinion polls suggesting that the opposition Congress party could reclaim control of the crucial state from the ruling alliance, which includes Prime Minister Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Maharashtra Assembly election is taking place on Wednesday, with voters heading to the polls across the 288 constituencies in India’s wealthiest state. Voting began at 7 a.m. IST (0130 UTC/GMT) and will continue until 6 p.m. IST, according to election officials.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose party currently governs the state in a coalition, encouraged voters to "participate enthusiastically in this process and add beauty to this festival of democracy." In a social media post, he also appealed to the youth and women voters, urging them to come forward and cast their ballots in large numbers.

As per the Election Commission of India’s rules, exit polls are expected to be released after voting concludes.

Meanwhile, residents of Jharkhand, an eastern state of India, are also voting on Wednesday in the second and final phase of their state assembly elections. This election pits the local ruling party's coalition against a BJP-led alliance.

Votes from both states will be counted on Saturday.

While opinion polls in India have had a mixed track record, they suggest that Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may struggle to retain power in Maharashtra due to dissatisfaction among farmers. Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital Mumbai, is also an agricultural powerhouse producing sugarcane, cotton, onions, and soybeans. Despite the government’s recent announcements of pro-farmer policies, many farmers have yet to see any tangible benefits.

A Lok Poll opinion survey indicated that a coalition of parties, including the Indian National Congress, could reclaim the state, potentially securing up to 162 of the 288 seats. Other polls have similarly forecast a loss for the BJP alliance.

Losing Maharashtra would be a significant blow to Modi’s BJP, which also lost its parliamentary majority in the national elections held between April and June. This was, in part, attributed to widespread farmer anger over issues such as low minimum support prices for crops, export restrictions, and general distress within the farming community.

"We faced a setback during the parliamentary elections because of the restrictions on onion exports," Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis told an election rally on Sunday. "We have now lifted those curbs, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will not impose export bans abruptly," he added.

However, farmers argue that the government’s actions have come too late, as they have already harvested and sold their onion crops to traders.

Additionally, the BJP alliance has been providing Rs 1,500 to women from low-income families under a scheme introduced in August. However, the opposition has promised to double that amount.