Maharashtra Assembly 2024: BJP-Led Mahayuti Alliance Poised for Victory, Crosses Majority Mark

Early trends on Saturday morning indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance was on track to secure a majority in Maharashtra, leading in 214 out of the state's 288 seats. The results come as the counting of votes in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand began at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The BJP-led NDA alliance is also leading in Jharkhand.

Maharashtra's assembly elections were held on November 20, with a voter turnout of 66%, surpassing the 2019 turnout of 61%. The Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and smaller regional players, aims to retain power in the state. In contrast, the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is aiming to unseat the ruling alliance.

This election marks the first since the split in Shiv Sena and NCP, making it a crucial battle in Maharashtra's political landscape. While most exit polls had predicted a victory for the BJP-led alliance, some suggested a close contest.

The BJP contested 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP fielded candidates in 59 constituencies. The opposition MVA alliance fielded 101 candidates from Congress, 95 from Shiv Sena (UBT), and 86 from NCP (SCP). Additionally, smaller parties such as the Bahujan Samaj Party and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) contested 237 and 17 seats, respectively.