Mahayuti makes comeback in Maharashtra; INDIA bloc prevails in Jharkhand
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance has won a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly polls. It was ahead in 233 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was leading on 50 seats as the vote count neared completion. In Jharkhand, INDIA made a stunning u-turn to take the lead. It was ahead with 57 seats against the NDA's 23. Maharashtra, which has 288 seats, voted on November 20, while Jharkhand, with 81 seats, voted on November 13 and 20.
First election in Maharashtra after major party splits
This was the first election in Maharashtra after splits in the NCP and Shiv Sena. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the undivided Shiv Sena 56, and the undivided NCP 54. Uddhav Thackeray lost his chief ministerial position due to a split in his party in 2022, and the party has been keen to prove a point in the assembly polls. Like the Sena, the NCP also split after Ajit Pawar joined the ruling alliance last year.
Jharkhand's political landscape
Jharkhand's political arena is also not without significant upheaval. CM Hemant Soren resigned in January before being jailed in a money-laundering case. Champai Soren momentarily took over, but after Hemant's release, Champai joined the BJP, the main opposition party. In the 2019 elections, the BJP suffered a significant blow, winning only 25 seats. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress coalition, on the other hand, won a commanding majority, signaling a turning point in Jharkhand's political dynamics and highlighting the opposition's growing influence.
Exit polls predict tight race in Maharashtra, Jharkhand
Most exit polls had indicated a close contest in Maharashtra with a slight edge for the Mahayuti alliance. Four major exit polls, C-Voter, P-Marq, Dainik Bhaskar, and Lokshahi Marathi-Rudra, however, indicate that neither the Mahayuti nor the MVA are likely to obtain a clear majority, implying a hung Assembly. In Jharkhand, most exit polls predict a win for the BJP-led alliance. However, one poll indicates a potential victory for Hemant's JMM-led coalition.
