As vote counting progresses for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra seems on track for a comfortable victory.
In Maharashtra, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is leading in over 221 seats out of the 288-member assembly, according to NDTV. The BJP is leading in 127 seats, while its alliance partners, including Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and others, have collectively helped the alliance secure a strong lead. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which consists of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, is leading in 55 seats.
The Mahayuti’s strong position is in line with predictions from most exit polls, including People’s Pulse, which forecasted 175-195 seats for the alliance, with MVA securing only 85-112 seats. The 2019 assembly elections in Maharashtra saw a similar competition between the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and the MVA, but political instability following the Shiv Sena’s exit from the alliance led to a change in the state’s leadership multiple times over the past five years.
In Jharkhand, the JMM-led INDIA bloc is leading in 50 seats, with the BJP-led NDA trailing behind on 30 seats, according to TV reports. The majority mark in the 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly is 41. The INDIA bloc, which includes the JMM, Congress, CPI(ML), and RJD, has made a strong showing, with Chief Minister Hemant Soren maintaining a lead in his Barhait constituency.
Exit polls for Jharkhand were divided. Matrize predicted 42-47 seats for the NDA and 25-30 for the INDIA bloc, while Axis My India predicted a victory for the INDIA bloc, with 45% vote share, ahead of the NDA’s 37%. In contrast, Dainik Bhaskar suggested a hung assembly with both alliances falling short of the majority mark.
In Jharkhand, the JMM emerged as the largest party in the 2019 assembly elections, securing 30 seats. With Congress and RJD’s support, it formed the government. This year, the battle has once again been between the JMM-led INDIA bloc and the BJP-led NDA, which includes AJSU, JD(U), and LJP (Ram Vilas).
In Maharashtra, the BJP-led Mahayuti aims to retain power, facing strong competition from the MVA alliance. The state’s political scene has been turbulent, with three different chief ministers in the last five years: BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray, and Eknath Shinde following a split in the Shiv Sena.
