The wait is finally coming to an end as the counting of votes for the Maharashtra state assembly elections kicked off on Saturday. This high-stakes election is set to decide the winner in a fierce two-way contest between the Mahayuti alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Maharashtra voters turned out on November 20 to cast their ballots for the 288-seat assembly, registering a voter turnout of 66.05%, an increase from nearly 61% in the 2019 state elections.
The two main alliances—Mahayuti, consisting of the BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and MVA (comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, and Sharad Pawar's NCP)—both saw the higher voter turnout as a favorable sign for their respective campaigns.
The election season was not without drama, with controversies including a high-profile murder. Last month, Baba Siddique was shot dead just before the elections, and Anil Deshmukh was attacked in Nagpur two days before the vote. Additionally, the cash-for-vote scandal involving allegations against BJP leader Vinod Tawde raised the political heat in Maharashtra.
Key Election Highlights As initial trends rolled in, the ruling Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP, showed leads in 55 of the 288 seats, according to PValue. The Maha Vikas Aghadi was trailing with a lead in 7 seats. Four other seats were led by independent or smaller party candidates. One closely watched contest has Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole leading in Sakoli after the postal ballots were counted, based on a TV channel's report. Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction candidate Sanjay Gaikwad is leading in Buldhana. Detailed Election ScenarioWithin the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP contested the largest number of seats, fielding candidates in 148 constituencies. Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction targeted 80 seats, while Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP faction contested in 52. Six additional candidates are running under the Mahayuti umbrella.
On the other side, the MVA alliance assigned 102 seats to Congress, 96 to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, and 86 to Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction. Smaller allies like the Samajwadi Party have also fielded candidates in two seats each.
In total, around 9.8 crore voters had the opportunity to shape the future of the state, deciding the outcome for 4,136 candidates. Today marks the crucial moment to see which alliance will emerge victorious in this battle for political power.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, while the then-unified Shiv Sena won 56 and the NCP took 54. Congress ended up with 44 seats, while independent candidates and other smaller parties claimed 13 and 16 seats respectively.
Election Results 2024 LIVE: Counting Begins for Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Bypolls in 15 States
Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Maharashtra's Decisive Battle to Define True Leadership
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: How and When to Watch Mumbai's Election Results