New Delhi: In a significant victory, the Mahayuti alliance, spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has emerged victorious in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Of the 288 seats, the BJP has secured 128 seats and is leading in 4 others, while its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, has won 56 seats and is ahead in one. The Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has secured 40 seats, with one more seat in its favor.
The Congress party, which contested under the Mahayuti umbrella, has won 13 seats and is leading in three. Meanwhile, the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar has managed to win 10 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) has secured 20 seats, while other parties and independents have claimed 10 seats.
The Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, has garnered significant support across the state. Prominent figures like Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar have registered wins. BJP’s Rahul Narwekar, Nitesh Narayan Rane, Manisha Chaudhary, Dr. Vijaykumar, and Atul Bhatkhalkar also triumphed, alongside Shiv Sena’s Uday Samant, Rajesh Vinayak Kshirsagar, and Rajendra Gavit.
However, several prominent candidates faced setbacks. Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, NCP’s Nawab Malik, and Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora and Kedar Dighe, representing the Uddhav Thackeray camp, lost their seats.
Speaking to the media, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hailed the victory as a “landslide,” attributing it to the people’s recognition of the Mahayuti alliance’s work in the last two and a half years. He thanked the voters for their support and confirmed that alliance leaders would soon meet to discuss the next steps, including the selection of the Chief Minister.
While the alliance celebrated, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut strongly contested the results, accusing the BJP of foul play and alleging a conspiracy to deny the opposition the position of Leader of Opposition. Raut claimed that the BJP had manipulated the results through financial influence and vowed that the public would not accept the mandate.
On the other hand, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya praised the victory, asserting that the BJP-led Mahayuti’s win was a clear continuation of the trends seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “The BJP and its partners have a dominant presence across Maharashtra,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Jharkhand: JMM-I.N.D.I.A Bloc Retains Power
In Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has retained power by winning 34 of the state’s 81 seats. Its ally Congress secured 16 seats, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won 4. The BJP claimed 21 seats, with other smaller parties securing the remaining seats.
Wayanad By-Poll: Priyanka Gandhi Wins by a Landslide
In the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra achieved a resounding victory with a margin of over 4 lakh votes. Priyanka, in her first electoral contest, won 622,338 votes, surpassing her brother Rahul Gandhi’s previous record in the constituency. She thanked the people of Wayanad for their overwhelming support, vowing to represent their interests in Parliament. This victory marks a promising start to Priyanka Gandhi’s political career, succeeding her brother, who resigned following his election to the Lok Sabha in 2024.
West Bengal: TMC Dominates Assembly Bypolls
In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) registered a clean sweep in the six assembly byelections held on November 13. TMC secured victories in all seats except Madarihat, which was previously held by the BJP. The successful constituencies included Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai, and Madarihat. The results reaffirmed the TMC’s stronghold in the state despite recent controversies surrounding the RG Kar rape-murder case.
