Maharashtra poll highlights: Chanakya, Axis My India predict thumping victory for Mahayuti

Maharashtra Assembly elections highlights: Catch all the latest news developments related to the Maharashtra Assembly elections here

Maharashtra Assembly election highlights: Most exit polls have predicted a decisive win for the Mahayuti alliance (comprising Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar's NCP faction, and BJP) in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, where they competed against the MVA coalition.  In the seat distribution, BJP contested 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81, and Ajit Pawar's NCP 59. On the MVA side, Congress ran for 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) 86. The total electoral base in Maharashtra comprises 97.02 million voters. 

  Uddhav Thackeray, who leads Shiv Sena (UBT), has been a strong critic of the BJP. Despite facing internal party issues, his leadership helped secure nine seats during the Lok Sabha elections. Eknath Shinde serves as the current chief minister and was instrumental in the Shiv Sena rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray. His political career spans over 30 years, including roles as urban development minister under both Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray. The Election Commission has recognized his Shiv Sena faction as the official party.    The Assembly polls pit the Mahayuti alliance—consisting of the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP—against the MVA coalition of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP faction.   

According to poll officials, the voting percentage in Maharashtra assembly polls was 66 per cent as per EVM votes, up from 61.1 per cent in 2019. Kolhapur led with 76.63 per cent, followed by 75.26 per cent in Gadchiroli. The lowest voting percentage was recorded in Mumbai island city at 52.07 per cent and 55.95 per cent in the metropolis' suburban district.

 

8:12 PM

Maha 'cash-for-votes' case: Man held from Gujarat sent to ED custody till Nov 29

A special court here on Friday remanded the man, arrested in a Maharashtra cash-for-votes case-linked money laundering investigation, to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till November 29. The probe agency told the court that the accused, Nagani Akram Mohammad Shafi, was the "mastermind" who opened 14 bank accounts in a cooperative bank and transferred money to the tune of Rs 100 crore to the accounts of alleged shell companies with the help of hawala transactions

8:03 PM

'EVM manipulation BJP's strength,' says Digvijaya ahead of results

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that the BJP's strength is in "manipulation of EVMs" on Friday, a day before the counting for votes for Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly polls. Polling in Maharashtra was held on November 20, while in Jharkhand was held in two phases on November 13 and 20.

7:12 PM

Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, G Parameshwara to be observers for Maha

Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, G Parameshwara to be observers for Maharashtra.

6:39 PM

ECI given 'focus, attention and time' for state polls: Maharashtra CEO

Ahead of the counting of votes for Maharashtra Election 2024, State's Chief Electoral Officer, S Chockalingam praised the efforts of the Election Commission's officers and employees and said ECI has given "focus, attention and time" for Maharashtra polls. "Election Commission of India gave a lot of focus, attention and time for Maharashtra this time. Each and every strategy was conceptualised and implemented with high precision. This resulted in a huge number of addition in the voter list also between the Parliament election and the current election. Efforts made to make voting easier, especially in a place like Mumbai where we had some problems at the time of Parliament elections but this time everyone praised the arrangements," he said.

5:33 PM

'Maha Vikas Aghadi forming next govt in Maharashtra': Balasaheb Thorat

Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat on Friday said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT), will form the next government in Maharashtra.

5:21 PM

Counting of votes to begin 8 am tomorrow

Counting of votes in the Maharashtra assembly elections will begin at 8 am on Saturday, with all eyes on the outcome of the battle between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which is seeking to make a comeback.

4:45 PM

BJP mob tried to enter EVM strong room in Karjat-Jamkhed, attempt foiled: Rohit Pawar

Sitting MLA Pawar is pitted against BJP leader and former state minister Ram Shinde in Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) district. Pawar alleged 25-30 BJP workers at midnight tried to enter the strong room where EVMs of Karjat-Jamkhed constituency, from where he contested, are kept.

4:17 PM

Maharashtra election results: Here are the details on date, time

Vote counting will begin at 8 am on Saturday, poll officials said earlier. Readers can also follow real-time updates and analysis on Business Standard's social media platforms, its live blog, and the ECI’s official website. Click here for more details.  

3:49 PM

Ruling alliance will win Jharkhand elections, perform better than 2019: Congress leader

AICC general secretary and Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Friday exuded confidence that the ruling alliance will return to power in Jharkhand with better numbers compared to the 2019 elections. Mir's claim came a day before the counting of votes for 81 assembly seats, which is slated on Saturday. "We are 100 per cent confident to be back in power in Jharkhand with better numbers and our performance will be better than the 2019 election results", Mir said speaking to reporters at Ranchi's Birsa Munda airport.

3:30 PM

BJP+ is going to bag clear majority: BJP leader Raosaheb Patil Danve

"There is no strategy. BJP and alliance will get clear majority. We are going to form our Government...There will be no need to do anything, when we are going to get majority, why should we speak with anyone?," BJP leader Raosaheb Patil Danve stated.

2:29 PM

Maharashtra elections results: Govt of loot, corruption is going to end, says Shiv Sena UBT leader Chaturvedi

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said today,“People of Maharashtra are going to free them (Mahayuti) for the next 25 years. The government of loot, corruption and Adani is going to end. We will get the majority. They are booking helicopters because they know people will ask them questions and they need to run away."

2:23 PM

Have decided to bring all newly-elected lawmakers to Mumbai: Sanjay Raut

The Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents have decided to house all its newly-elected MLAs together in Mumbai after the Maharashtra election results, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Friday, a move aimed at preventing poaching ahead of government formation. "We have decided to bring all newly-elected MLAs to Mumbai. New MLAs have no provision to stay in Mumbai. So we have decided to make their residential arrangements together," he said.

1:53 PM

Will choose to be with one who can form the government, says VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar

In a post on X, the grandson of Dr Babasaheb Amebdkar said his party will be the one to choose power. “If VBA gets the numbers, tomorrow, to support a party or an alliance to form the government in Maharashtra, we will choose to be with one who can form the government,"  Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar stated today.

1:39 PM

Maharashtra elections: MVA is united, will decide on CM post within a day, says Congress leader Pilot

Confident of an MVA win in Maharashtra, Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot on Friday said there would not be any issue among alliance constituents in deciding on the CM post after getting a majority and it would not take more than a day to "figure out who will get what position". Pilot, who was given the charge by the party in the Marathwada region and campaigned extensively in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and in constituencies where bypolls are taking place, 

11:48 AM

Maharashtra Assembly elections: Internal fissures emerge within Mahayuti, MVA on CM post

Internal divisions have surfaced in both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regarding the selection of the next chief minister, with multiple coalition partners from each alliance staking their claim to the top position. These disagreements have emerged even before the vote counting process has begun in Maharashtra.