The BJP-led NDA alliance, also known as Mahayuti, has achieved a record victory in Maharashtra, securing 230 seats across wins and leads, surpassing the majority mark of 145. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), was limited to less than 50 seats.
Voting for the 288 Maharashtra Assembly seats took place on November 20, with a 66.05% voter turnout. Mumbai City saw the lowest voter participation, while Gadchiroli recorded the highest turnout. The counting of votes for the Maharashtra Assembly elections began at 8 am, on November 23. The counting of postal ballots was taken up first.
Attention now shifts to the Chief Minister's post. Will the BJP back Devendra Fadnavis, or will Eknath Shinde retain his position after leading the alliance to a dominant victory? PM Modi lauded the victory as win for development, and good governance, while Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar said the election has decided to whom Shiv Sena and NCP really belong.
The BJP contested 149 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, while Shiv Sena fielded 81 and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP 59. In the opposition, the Congress ran 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) 86.
Counting of votes for the Maharashtra Assembly elections began at 8 am today, with the spotlight on the contest between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which is aiming for a comeback.
The voter turnout in the November 20 elections was 66.05%, up from 61.1% in 2019, according to election officials.
Exit polls predict a strong performance for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, with several surveys giving it a clear edge over the Congress-led MVA coalition.
The majority mark in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly is 145.
Separately, votes will be counted for the Jharkhand Assembly elections and bypolls in 48 seats across 14 states.
Additionally, counting will take place for bypolls to the Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra's Nanded and Kerala's Wayanad, where Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her electoral debut.
Click the hyperlinks to follow updates and results for the Jharkhand assembly elections and the bypolls.
Rebels are in the fray in over 150 constituencies, with candidates from the Mahayuti and MVA contesting against their party's official nominees.
There is a huge buzz around who the independents will harm the most—the Mahayuti or the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Besides the Congress and BJP, it has also hit both the Senas and both the NCPs.
There is not the slightest doubt among anyone that rebels have spiced up the polls whose results are due on November 23.
A viral audio clip of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has also underlined how much of a headache have been to political parties.
Hours before counting, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar held a virtual meeting, instructing candidates to stay at counting tables until all votes are counted and head to Mumbai with MLA certificates.
Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala issued similar directives, arranging charter flights to bring MLAs to Mumbai.
Meanwhile, on the ruling Mahayuti coalition side, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde is closely monitoring Independents, exploring contingencies amid speculation over BJP's plans.
The BJP has formed a six-member team to woo likely Independent winners. "We were told that once a rebel who was affiliated to the BJP wins, then immediate talks should be initiated regarding his or her demands," a senior BJP leader told TNIE's Sudhir Suryawanshi.
Voter turnout in the Maharashtra Assembly elections rose by nearly 4% compared to 2019, fueling claims of an edge among political rivals.
Rural areas dominated, with Karvir in Kolhapur leading at 84.79%, and Gadchiroli at 73.68%. Urban turnout lagged, with Mumbai at 52.07%.
Observers suggest this rural-urban gap could make rural votes crucial in tightly contested seats.
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said that they are very confident of winning the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections as the INDIA bloc fought the poll together, and the atmosphere is in their favour.
Speaking to ANI, Gehlot refuted exit polls that have predicted a win for the BJP-led NDA in both the poll-bound states.
"If the exit polls are speaking against us, they were in our favour in Haryana. When the results start coming, we will know the situation. We are fully confident that the people have given their blessings to the India block. INDIA Bloc fought the elections together and the atmosphere is in our favour," he said.
The counting of votes commenced at 8 am in all the counting centres in the state, an election official said.
At the counting centres, officials began verifying and counting the postal ballots, with the counting of EVM votes scheduled to start at 8.30 am.
There will be a minimum of 20 rounds of counting in each assembly segment, an official said.
The final turnout in the polls, held on November 20, was 66.05 percent, up from 61.1 percent in 2019.
Counting of votes also began at 8 am for the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll, where 67.81 percent voting was recorded on November 20.
The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in 31 of the 288 seats in the state and the Maha Vikas Aghadi in 18 as counting of votes commenced Saturday morning.
The Mahayuti was leading in 26 seats after counting of postal ballots commenced, TV channels reported. There was no word yet from the Election Commission.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was leading in Sakoli after counting of postal ballots commenced, a channel said. BJP's Vijaykumar Gavit was ahead after the postal ballots counting began, it added.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has collected letters of support from more than 160 of its candidates and some independents, pledging their backing for the alliance in forming a government in the state if voted to power. The letters of support collected from more than 160 candidates will be presented to the governor after declaration of results, sources said.
According to the sources, it is a normal practice.
Apart from the MVA candidates, some independents and rebels who may win the elections have also been approached, they said.
The MVA comprises the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar and Congress. The Congress had fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) put up 86 nominees in the elections.
Mahayuti takes early lead in 115 seats.
(BJP: 65; SHS: 30; NCP: 20)
Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition leads in 62 seats.
(INC: 29; SS(UBT): 17; NCP(SP): 14; others: 2)
District authorities in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar have banned victory processions on Saturday when the results of the state assembly elections will be declared.
In a video message, district collector Dilip Swami said, "I have spoken to the top police officials from the city as well as rural parts of the district. When the results come out, the situation turns a little tense. So in order to avoid law and order issues, we are not going to allow any victory procession on the result day."
"Sometimes, party workers come together and sometimes their coming together turns into a procession. We are not going to allow that also. Later, once everything is peaceful, we will allow the processions. We have issued prohibitory orders accordingly," he said.
The ruling Mahayuti coalition crossed the halfway mark with early leads in 161 seats during the initial rounds of counting on Saturday.
The BJP leads in 85 seats, followed by alliance partners Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena with 47 seats and Ajit Pawar's NCP with 27 seats.
The Opposition-led MVA is leading in 103 seats, with Congress ahead in 38 seats, Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) leading in 34, and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) in 28 seats.
The Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWPI) and Samajwadi Party (SP), also part of the MVA coalition, are leading in 2 and 1 seat, respectively.
Mahayuti: 161 (BJP: 85, SHS: 47, NCP: 27)
MVA: 103 (INC: 38, NCP (SP): 34, SS (UBT): 28)
Others: 12
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde leading by over 4,000 votes from Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly seat at the end of first round.
Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis leading by 2,246 votes from Nagpur South-West, while the other Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar leading by 3,759 votes in Baramati assembly seat at the end of first round.
Ajit Pawar is facing his nephew Yugendra, who is the candidate for Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) in the family turf of Baramati.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole leading by 344 votes from Sakoli assembly seat by at the end of first round.
Senior Congress leader and ex-Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan trailing by 1,590 votes in Karad South assembly seat.
Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil leads from Islampur assembly seat by 691 votes at the end of first round.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and sitting MLA Aaditya Thackeray leading in Worli assembly seat in Mumbai by 495 votes. Aaditya is facing Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena candidate Milind Deora
Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat trails in Sangamner assembly seat by 1,831 votes at end of first round.
The senior Congress leader is contesting his ninth election and is a frontrunner to the Chief Minister's chair if MVA comes to power.
Speaking to TNIE prior to the elections, Thorat had predicted the MVA would secure between 160 and 180 seats. READ FULL INTERVIEW HERE
The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance appeared set to retain power in Maharashtra, and was leading in 204 of the 288 assembly seats, as per the latest figures by the Election Commission.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi was stumbling, with its candidates leading in just 47 seats, as per the early trends.
Indicating a landslide victory for the ruling alliance, TV channels said the Mahayuti was ahead in 212 seats and MVA in 68 constituencies, as counting of votes commenced Saturday morning in the November 20 elections.
As per ECI figures, in the Mahayuti, BJP candidates were leading in 111 seats, Shiv Sena in 58 and NCP in 35 seats.
In the MVA, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidates were leading in 9 seats, Congress in 20 and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) in 18 seats.
Reacting to trends showing the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the lead, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut raised doubts about the results, calling it a "conspiracy."
"We don't accept this as people's mandate... Something is fishy in election results... I see a big conspiracy in this," Raut told reporters.
VIDEO | "We do not accept these results, we are not ready to accept that this is people's mandate. We knew in which direction the public's mind was going, but an arrest warrant was issued against Gautam Adani two days ago in a bribe case, in which BJP was exposed... To divert… pic.twitter.com/8Rv56NpMuK
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 23, 2024
NCP candidate Zeeshan Siddique, the son of slain former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, trails in Vandre East assembly seat in Mumbai by 5,237 votes at the end of fourth round.
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekar Bawankule leads in Kamthi assembly seat in Nagpur by 6,421 votes at end of second round.
Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar leading in Vandre West assembly seat in Mumbai by 6,429 votes at the end of 3rd round.
Speaking to TNIE before the elections, Shelar asserted that the Mahayuti alliance is "marching towards a clear majority" in Maharashtra.
The ongoing trends in the Maharashtra elections are favouring NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is poised to outshine his uncle Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). He is also on track to retain the family stronghold of Baramati, where he is facing his nephew Yugendra Pawar from Sharad Pawar’s faction.
Ajit, who broke the NCP to align with the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition (Mahayuti) in 2023, is leading in 35 seats, while Sharad Pawar's faction leads in 14. The roles were reversed in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where Sharad Pawar's party won 8 out of 10 contested seats, while Ajit’s secured just 1 of 4.
BJP set to surpass its 2019 state assembly performance in this Maharashtra state assembly elections. In 2014, BJP won 122 seats while in this polls, it is leading on 126 seats. BJP is marching towards its big & historic victory. @NewIndianXpress
— Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) November 23, 2024
Congress performance likely to be one of the worst performance in state assembly polls. In 2014, congress won 40 seats while in 2019, it won 44 and now its leading on 20 seats in Maharashtra. @NewIndianXpress
— Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) November 23, 2024
While the Mahayuti is set to overcome anti-incumbency, the BJP's strong performance in Maharashtra could lead to an intriguing political scenario.
Will the BJP now push for their own CM candidate in Devendra Fadnavis? Or will everyone credit incumbent CM Eknath Shinde for the sweeping win and let him keep the chair?
BJP with their strong showing have ensured that they can form the government by joining hands with Ajit Pawar's NCP alone.
But can they afford to ignore Shinde who led the government that went to the polls and sealed the win? More so at a time when Shinde's Sena has put up a really strong showing. This remains the pressing question.
A new chapter has been added to the story of Eknath Shinde's meteoric rise from autorickshaw driver to chief minister. It was the Shinde sarkar which went out to fight the polls. And how it performed!
The 60-year-old has proven that he has emerged out of the shadows of Bal Thackeray and trumped Uddhav too. Interestingly, Shinde's Shiv Sena had performed well in the Lok Sabha polls too. The implementation of the Ladki Bahin scheme and the timing of it is seen by many experts as having played a big role in sealing this Maha win.
An accessible leader with top-notch organisation skills, Shinde has proven his mettle yet again. At the moment, Shiv Sena is poised to win almost as many seats as the MVA. Whether he remains CM or not, Shinde has underlined that he cannot be ignored in any post-poll permutations and also in Maharashtra politics.
BJP MLC Pravin Darekar on Saturday demanded that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis be appointed as the next chief minister of the state with trends suggesting a win for the Mahayuti combine.
In the alliance, the party that secures the highest number of seats will be entitled to get the chief minister's post, he asserted.
As per ECI figures, in the Mahayuti, BJP candidates were leading in 128 seats, Shiv Sena in 55 and NCP in 35 seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi was stumbling, with its candidates leading in just 50 seats.
When asked about the current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose party Shiv Sena is an ally of the BJP, Darekar said, "As part of the alliance, the party that secures the most seats will be entitled to the post of Chief Minister."
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of CM Eknath Shinde, remarked, "People's mandate shows who is taking Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals forward," while commenting on the Sena (UBT)'s poll performance.
Current trends show Eknath Shinde's party outperforming the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction for the second consecutive election, following its strong showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
[SHS: 54; SS (UBT): 19]
From an obscure corporator to becoming the youngest mayor of Nagpur, to the first BJP chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis' climb up the political ladder has been steady, as he looks all set to occupy the state's top post for the third time.
In a state dominated by Maratha politicians, the 54-year-old leader, with deep roots in RSS, is only the second Brahmin after BJP's estranged ally Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi to become the state's chief minister.
"Devendra is Nagpur's gift to the country," PM Narendra Modi had said of him at an election rally ahead of the 2014 assembly polls.
At 22, he became a corporator in the Nagpur civic body and its youngest Mayor in 1997 at the age of 27.
Fadnavis contested his first assembly election in 1999 and won. There was no looking back for him as he won three subsequent assembly elections. He currently represents Nagpur South West seat in the House.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the poll trends were in favour of the Mahayuti because of his flagship initiative, the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.
He said the people of the state have responded to the welfare schemes with their votes. Speaking to reporters, Shinde said, "I thank all my ladki bahins (dear sisters) in the state and the brothers who voted in large numbers for us. The voting trend is an endorsement of our work."
"Every section of society voted for us because of our development efforts. The public has noticed our work and responded through their ballots," he said, adding that this outcome has increased their responsibility.
Shinde clarified that the Mahayuti does not have a definitive formula that the party winning the most seats will get the chief minister post.
"At this time, no definitive formula has been established. Senior leaders from the three parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP's national president J P Nadda, will discuss and decide the matter," he said.
Parag Shah of the BJP retained his Ghatkopar East assembly constituency, defeating rival NCP (SP) nominee by 34,999 votes.
Shah, the richest candidate in the Maharashtra polls, bagged 85,388 votes, while Rakhee Jadhav of the Sharad Pawar-led party polled 50,389 votes.
This is Shah's second consecutive victory.
BJP's Kalidas Kolambkar retained his Wadala assembly constituency in Mumbai, defeating rival Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Shraddha Jadhav by 24,973 votes.
Kolambkar has won for the ninth consecutive time, becoming one of the senior-most MLAs in the state. The BJP leader polled 66,800 votes, while Jadhav, a former Mumbai mayor, got 41,827 votes.
The votes were counted in 16 rounds.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis hailed the performance of the ruling Mahayuti in the assembly polls and credited it to PM Narendra Modi and the latter's 'ek hai toh safe hai' slogan.
"Ek Hain toh Safe hain' 'Modi hain toh Mumkin hain'," he wrote on X. The slogan was a staple of all speeches of Modi during the campaign.
Fadnavis is leading from Nagpur South West assembly seat by a margin of 19,437 seats as per data made available on the ECI website at 1pm.
एक है तो ‘सेफ’ है !
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 23, 2024
मोदी है तो मुमकिन हैं ! #Maharashtra #महाराष्ट्र
Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari congratulated the Mahayuti for the stellar performance in the Maharashtra assembly polls and said the ruling alliance prioritised development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Heartfelt congratulations to the people of Maharashtra for the historic victory of the BJP-Mahayuti alliance in the Assembly elections! Under the leadership of PM Narendramodi Ji, the BJP-Mahayuti has consistently prioritised development and remains committed to Maharashtra's holistic progress and the aspirations of its people," Gadkari wrote on X.
Heartfelt congratulations to the people of Maharashtra for the historic victory of the BJP-Mahayuti alliance in the Assembly elections! Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, the BJP-Mahayuti has consistently prioritized development and remains committed to…
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) November 23, 2024
Reacting to the trends showing a sweeping lead for the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis' mother expressed support for her son, backing him to become the state's chief minister again.
Fadnavis, who is only the second CM in Maharashtra's history to complete a full term (2014-19), is poised to retain his Nagpur South West seat.
#WATCH | Nagpur | As Mahayuti is set to form govt in Maharashtra, Deputy CM & BJP leader Devendra Fadnavi's mother, Sarita Fadnavis says, "Of course, he will become the CM...It is a big day as my son has become a big leader in the state. He was working hard at all 24 hours..." pic.twitter.com/DontYWe6Hk
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2024
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband and businessman Robert Vadra said the Congress party should "learn from the results in Maharashtra and respect the verdict of the people."
"We need to learn from the results in Maharashtra and respect the verdict of the people. We need to work with the party who wins and work for the development of the state," he told ANI.
#WATCH | Delhi: On counting for votes for #MaharashtraElection2024, Businessman Robert Vadra says "We need to learn from the results in Maharashtra and respect the verdict of the people. We need to with the party who wins and work for the development of the state."
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2024
On… pic.twitter.com/h5hVMCVgfu
Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and other small parties failed to make an impact in the assembly polls. While the MNS had fielded 125 candidates, the VBA had 200 candidates in the fray.
The bad news for the MNS was compounded with Amit Thackeray, son of the party chief, trailing at third place in Mahim seat in Mumbai.
Incidentally, on the eve of counting of votes, Ambedkar had claimed VBA would get a sizable number of seats and would get to choose which side can form the government.
The Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Paksha, which had fielded 19 candidates, also failed to make any impact. It is known to have influence among farmers, especially in western Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, parties like the Samajwadi Party (SP) and All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) were in a slightly better position.
As per ECI's current trends, SP, Jan Surajya Shakti and CPM were leading in two seats each while the AIMIM, Rashtriya Yuva Swabhiman Party, Peasants and Workers Party and Rajashri Shahu Vikas Aghadi were leading on one seat each.
Nitesh Rane, son of former Maharashtra CM and senior BJP leader Narayan Rane, retained the Kankavli assembly seat.
Nitesh defeated Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sandesh Parkar by a margin of 58,007 votes. He first won the seat as a Congress candidate in 2014 and retained the seat as a BJP candidate in 2019.
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil of the BJP has won the Shirdi seat with a commanding margin of 70,282 votes.
Shivendraraje Abhaysinhraje Bhonsle of the BJP has emerged victorious in Satara, securing a massive margin of 1.42 lakh votes.
Randhir Pralhadrao Sawarkar of the BJP has clinched the Akola East seat with a margin of 50,613 votes.
Rajesh Udesing Padvi of the BJP has won the Shahada seat with a decisive margin of 53,204 votes.
Abhijeet Dhananjay Patil of Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCPSP), has secured a victory in the Madha Assembly with a margin of 30,621 votes.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's son, Jay Pawar, expressed support for his father becoming the chief minister. He said, "Of course, even I feel the same way... About the results, the elder leaders will take that decision. But every Baramatikar does want to see Dada as the chief minister."
On the election results, he added, "I am really happy with the results and thank all our voters for entrusting the Mahayuti again. Over the next five years, we will work together for the progress of the state and our Taluka. All Baramatikars are Dada's and my family. Just as they respected Saheb during the Lok Sabha polls, they have shown the same respect to Dada during Vidhan Sabha elections because they recognise his work for the Taluka."
#WATCH | Mumbai | On being asked about NCP workers wanting his father to be the CM, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's son, Jay Pawar says," Of course, even I feel the same way...About the results, the elder leaders will take that decision. But every Baramatikar does want to see… pic.twitter.com/7vTbBaXzdR
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2024
The Election Commission of India has declared result for 18 seats so far.
Winning candidates:
-BJP
SHAHADA - RAJESH UDESING PADVI
AKOLA EAST - RANDHIR PRALHADRAO SAWARKAR
GHATKOPAR EAST - PARAG SHAH
WADALA - KALIDAS NILKANTH KOLAMBKAR
SHIRDI - PATIL VIKHE RADHAKRUSHNA EKNATHRAO
SATARA - SHIVENDRARAJE ABHAYSINHRAJE BHONSLE
KANKAVLI - NITESH NARAYAN RANE
PUNE CANTONMENT - KAMBLE SUNIL DYANDEV
-Shiv Sena
PALGHAR - GAVIT RAJENDRA DHEDYA
BHIWANDI RURAL - SHANTARAM TUKARAM MORE
MAHAD - GOGAWALE BHARAT MARUTI
NEVASA - VITTHAL VAKILRAO LANGHE
SAWANTWADI - DEEPAK VASANTRAO KESARKAR
-NCP
AMALNER - ANIL BHAIDAS PATIL
NIPHAD - BANKAR DILIPRAO SHANKARRAO
DINDORI - NARAHARI SITARAM ZIRWAL
SHRIVARDHAN - ADITI SUNIL TATKARE
-NCPSP
MADHA - ABHIJEET DHANANJAY PATIL
Devendra Fadnavis hails Maharashtra poll results, says state backs PM Modi
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis credited the state's voters for rejecting the opposition's "fake narratives" and "religious polarisation." He stated, "The masses have foiled the opposition's efforts of propagating a fake narrative and polarising voters based on religion."
Fadnavis highlighted the public's continued support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting, "The Maharashtra assembly poll results show that the state supports PM Narendra Modi." He also extended his gratitude to women voters for their support.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis assured there is no dispute over the chief minister's post following the assembly poll results. He stated, "There is no row over the CM's post; the leaders of Mahayuti parties will take the decision."
#WATCH | Mumbai | When asked who will be the next CM of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "There will be no dispute on the CM's face. It was decided from day one that after the elections, the leaders of the three parties will sit together and decide on… pic.twitter.com/wfI6nqhN8F
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2024
BJP's Rahul Narwekar, speaker in outgoing Maharashtra assembly, retains Colaba seat with 48,581-vote margin against Congress' Heera Nawaji Devasi: ECI
Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is heading for a significant win in the high-profile Baramati constituency, defeating his nephew and Sharad Pawar-backed challenger Yugendra Pawar.
Ajit Pawar, seeking an eighth term from Baramati, has secured 1,29,993 votes, leading by 72,809 votes over debutant Yugendra, who has polled 57,184 votes after 14 rounds. According to Ajit Pawar's election in-charge Kiran Gujar, the NCP leader expanded his lead to 88,782 votes after the 18th round of counting.
The elections to 288 constituencies in Maharashtra were held on November 20, with counting underway on Saturday.
Latest trends show that Ajit Pawar's NCP is performing strongly, leading in 36 seats and securing four wins, while Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) leads in 11 seats with one win.
Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, expressed gratitude to the people of Baramati for their continued trust, saying, "Baramati is his family." She attributed Ajit's victory to the development work he has done in the constituency.
In another key contest in Pune district, NCP candidate and ruling MLA Dilip Walse Patil leads NCP (SP) nominee Devdatta Nikam by 2,542 votes in the Ambegaon constituency.
Meanwhile, NCP (SP) candidate Harshavardhan Patil, who left the BJP ahead of the elections, is trailing against NCP's Dattatray Bharne in Indapur. (Read more)
Ajit Pawar hailed the success of the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana,' calling it a key factor in the party's victory. "The scheme became our game changer. It defeated each of our adversaries. I have not seen such a victory in my memory," he said.
Pawar emphasised that while the victory was significant, it also increased their responsibility. "We will not be swayed by the victory, but this has increased our responsibility for sure. We have to behave responsibly now. Especially financial discipline is needed to fulfil all our promises. We are committed to that."
On allegations of EVM tampering, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, "Those who are blaming EVMs must remember that we lost the Lok Sabha elections on EVMs, and we have now lost Jharkhand on EVMs too. We also lost a few seats with very thin margins."
Actor Swara Bhasker, reacting to her husband Fahad Ahmad's defeat from Anushakti Nagar constituency has accused EVM manipulation in the polls., questioning the machines' battery levels. Fahad, an NCP (SP) candidate from Anushakti Nagar, lost to Sana Malik, daughter of Nawab Malik, backed by NCP (Ajit Pawar).
In a post on X, Bhasker alleged, "In #AnushaktiNagar Vidhan Sabha, after a steady lead by @FahadZirarAhmad of NCP-SP, round 17, 18, 19 suddenly 99% battery charger EVMs are opened, and BJP-supported NCP-Ajit Pawar candidate takes the lead. How can machines that have been voted on all day long have 99% charged batteries? Why do all 99% charged batteries give votes to BJP and its allies?"
Fahad Ahmad also raised similar allegations, claiming he had maintained a steady lead until round 16 of the counting. He alleged that EVMs with 99% charged batteries were then used, allowing his opponent to take the lead. Ahmad demanded a recount of rounds 16, 17, 18, and 19.
Anushakti Nagar falls under the Mumbai South-Central Lok Sabha constituency.
Addressing the media following Mahayuti's stellar performance in the Maharashtra assembly elections, Eknath Shinde stated, "I won’t go into who is real and who is fake, but the people have chosen the Shiv Sena that lives up to Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to express his heartfelt gratitude to the people of Maharashtra, especially the youth and women, for giving the NDA a historic mandate. He wrote, "This affection and warmth is unparalleled. I assure the people that our Alliance will keep working for Maharashtra’s progress."
he concluded the message with "Jai Maharashtra!"
Development wins!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 23, 2024
Good governance wins!
United we will soar even higher!
Heartfelt gratitude to my sisters and brothers of Maharashtra, especially the youth and women of the state, for a historic mandate to the NDA. This affection and warmth is unparalleled.
I assure the…
Leaders of the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition assured a smooth government formation following their massive victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections. Addressing a joint press conference in Mumbai, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the people had rejected the politics of appeasement and responded positively to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of unity, "Ek Hai toh Safe Hai."
NCP chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar emphasized that the alliance would not be swayed by the landslide win and would focus on financial discipline. Commenting on the poor performance of rival factions, both Fadnavis and Pawar noted that the results clarified the true allegiance of Shiv Sena and NCP.
"After all the results are declared, our MLAs will come to Mumbai, and all three parties will elect their leaders," Fadnavis confirmed.
Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde also reassured that the seat-sharing arrangement among the three parties had been finalised amicably, ensuring no obstacles in the government formation process.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has emerged victorious from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency, defeating Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Kedar Prakash Dighe by a margin of 1,20,717 votes.
Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, finished in third place in the Mahim constituency. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) candidate Mahesh Baliram Sawant won with 50,213 votes, securing a margin of 1,316 votes. Sada Sarvankar of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena was the runner-up, while Amit Thackeray garnered 33,062 votes.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Vinod Nikole won the Dahanu (Scheduled Tribe reserved) assembly seat in Palghar district by a margin of 5,133 votes.
He defeated Bharatiya Janata Party's Vinod Suresh Medha.
The CPI(M) has won this seat for the 10th time since 1978.
The seat was earlier known as Jawhar (ST) before delimitation in 2009 created the Dahanu (ST) seat.
Amid a Mahayuti wave, winning Dahanu seat against all odds is a remarkable achievement, CPI(M) leader Ashok Dhavale said.
The credit goes to people of Dahanu and Talasari tehsils and workers of various Leftist outfits,he said.
The CPI(M) was a part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT).
Aditya Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) emerged victorious with 63,324 votes, defeating his rivals with a margin of 8,801 votes. Milind Murli Deora of Shiv Sena received 54,523 votes. Sandeep Sudhakar Deshpande from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) secured 19,367 votes.
BJP: 61 seats won, leading in 72
Shiv Sena (SHS): 30 seats won, leading in 27
NCP: 26 seats won, leading in 15
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray): 12 seats won, leading in 8
Indian National Congress (INC): 5 seats won, leading in 10
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar): 6 seats won, leading in 4
Samajwadi Party (SP): 2 seats won, leading in 0
CPI(M): 1 seat won, leading in 0
Others: 4 seats won, 4 leading
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has lost the Karad South assembly seat by a margin of 39,355 votes. The senior Congress leader was defeated by BJP candidate Atulbaba Bhosale in a closely watched contest.
The NOTA (None of the Above) option saw limited use in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections. In Maharashtra, 0.75% of voters selected NOTA during the polls for 288 seats, which saw a 65.02% voter turnout on November 20. In Jharkhand, 1.32% chose NOTA, with voter turnouts of 66.65% and 68.45% in its two voting phases on November 13 and 20, respectively.
Uddhav Thackeray has called the Maharashtra NDA's landslide victory "incomprehensible," questioning the factors behind such overwhelming support. "What did they do to deserve this tsunami of votes?"
Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar on Saturday won from his traditional Baramati assembly constituency by defeating his nephew and NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar by more than one lakh votes.
Ajit, who parted ways with his uncle Sharad Pawar last year and was seeking an eighth term from this family bastion in Pune district, polled 1,81,132 votes while Yugendra Pawar polled 80,233 votes.
Ajit, thus, defeated his younger brother's son by 1,00,899 votes.
Five months ago, Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) had triumphed in Baramati in the Lok Sabha elections, with incumbent MP and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule defeating Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra by a margin of 1.5 lakh votes.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, commenting on the Maharashtra Assembly election results, said that the MVA's civil conduct might have contributed to its defeat. He expressed no issue with congratulating the NDA, but hoped they would fulfill their promises and avoid using "jumlas" to win elections. Thackeray also mentioned his disappointment with the outcome, noting that despite his heartfelt efforts for Maharashtra, the results were not as he had hoped.
BJP: Won 103, Leading 30, Total 133
Shiv Sena (SHS): Won 47, Leading 10, Total 57
NCP: Won 37, Leading 4, Total 41
Shiv Sena (UBT): Won 19, Leading 1, Total 20
INC: Won 11, Leading 4, Total 15
NCP (Sharad Pawar): Won 10, Leading 0, Total 10
Samajwadi Party: Won 2, Leading 0, Total 2
Jan Surajya Shakti: Won 2, Leading 0, Total 2
Rashtriya Yuva Swabhiman Party: Won 1, Leading 0, Total 1
Rashtriya Samaj Paksha: Won 1, Leading 0, Total 1
AIMIM: Won 0, Leading 1, Total 1
CPI(M): Won 1, Leading 0, Total 1
Peasants and Workers Party: Won 1, Leading 0, Total 1
Rajarshi Shahu Vikas Aghadi: Won 1, Leading 0, Total 1
Independents: Won 2, Leading 0, Total 2
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis won the assembly polls from Nagpur South West seat defeating his Congress rival Prafulla Gudhade Patil by a margin of 39,710 votes. Fadnavis received 129401 votes, while Patil secured 89,691 votes. However, the BJP stalwart's victory margin reduced by 9,643 votes when compared to the 2019 polls. He has won from the seat for the fourth time. This is Fadnavis' sixth assembly poll win. In 1999 and 2004 he had won from Nagpur West.
Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar won from his traditional Baramati assembly constituency by defeating his nephew and NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar by more than one lakh votes.
The 65-year-old politician, thus, settled the score with his uncle Sharad Pawar (83), inflicting on him the first-ever defeat in this family bastion.
Though Sharad Pawar himself was not in the fray, the high-stakes contest was being seen as a battle between him and Ajit.
Ajit Pawar, who parted ways with his uncle last year and was seeking an eighth term from this seat in Pune district, polled 1,81,132 votes while Yugendra Pawar polled 80,233 votes.
He, thus, defeated his younger brother Shriniwas' son by 1,00,899 votes.
Responding to BJP led alliance's stunning victory in Maharashtra Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it is the biggest win for any party or pre-poll alliance in last 50 years.
BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday hailed his party's victory in Maharashtra assembly polls and byelections in various states as "historic."
He said people have put their seal on the Prime Minister's vision for the country's development, rejecting the opposition's politics of division and appeasement.
