Mahayuti appears set to sweep Maharashtra polls, JMM-led bloc ahead in Jharkhand
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was leading on 115 seats in Maharashtra while allies Shiv Sena (SHS) on 56, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 34
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led ruling Mahayuti appeared set to sweep the Maharashtra polls and retain power as was leading on 205 out of 288 seats while the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led grouping was ahead in Jharkhand, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI) website.
The BJP was leading on 115 seats in Maharashtra while allies Shiv Sena (SHS) on 56, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 34. Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) or SHS (UBT) was ahead on 20 seats, Congress 11, Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCPSP) 2 and Samajwadi Party 2.
In Jharkhand, the JMM was leading on 31 out of 81 seats, BJP 24, Congress 12, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) 6, AJSU Party (AJSUP) 2, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) or CPI(ML)(L) 2, Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha 1 and Janata Dal (United) 1.
Exit polls showed the Mahayuti held an edge in Maharashtra, which went to the single-phase polling on November 20. The two-phase elections in Jharkhand were held on November 13 and 20.
The MVA was hoping to return to power in Maharashtra on the back of issues such as corruption in the country’s wealthiest state. The BJP was expecting to keep up the momentum of its unexpected victory in Haryana. The Congress and its allies looked to build on their Lok Sabha performances in Maharashtra.
The counting was also underway for the votes polled for 48 assembly and two parliamentary by-polls across 15 states. The focus remained on Kerala’s Wayanad. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who fought two seats in the Lok Sabha elections, vacated the seat as he chose to retain Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was leading in Wayanad. She is making her poll debut.
The assembly by-polls were held for nine seats in Uttar Pradesh, seven in Rajasthan, six in West Bengal, five in Assam, four each in Punjab and Bihar, three in Karnataka, two each in Madhya Pradesh and Kerala and one seat each in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya.
