The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance looked set for a runaway victory in Maharashtra, scoring an emphatic win over a tottering MVA, while the opposition INDIA bloc was poised to bag Jharkhand on Saturday, according to trends on the Election Commission website.
As votes were counted for the Assembly polls held earlier this month, India’s ruling and opposition alliances could bag one state each in the crucial electoral battle with voters in both going for continuity rather than change.
While the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP partnership banded under Mahayuti was leading in 235 of the 288 seats in the powerhouse state of Maharashtra indicating a huge wave in favour of the ruling alliance, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partnership of the Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) was ahead in just 49.
However, the question over the Maharashtra chief minister’s face remains.
In Jharkhand, the JMM-led alliance stormed back to power for the second consecutive term winning 56 seats in the 81-member assembly. The majority mark in the assembly is 41.
JMM won 34 of the 43 seats it contested, the Congress in 16 of the 30 seats, the RJD four of the six seats, while the CPI(ML) Liberation won two of the four seats.
The results come as a fillip for the BJP, which won an unprecedented hat-trick in Haryana last month, and help the party overcome some of its reverses in the general elections where it bagged just 240 seats.
Maharashtra elections results
Total seats: 288
Magic figure: 145
| Political formation | Leads | Won |
| BJP+ | 10 | 225 |
| Congress+ | 03 | 46 |
| Others | 01 | 03 |
Jharkhand elections results
Total seats: 81
Magic figure: 41
| Political formation | Leads | Won |
| JMM+ | 00 | 56 |
| BJP+ | 00 | 24 |
| Others | 00 | 01 |
10:00 pm: Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis collects his certificate after winning from Nagpur South West seat.
8:37 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated party workers for its giant win in Maharashtra. While addressing karyakarthas in New Delhi, he said, “Today negative politics has been defeated. Today ‘Parivarvad’ have been defeated. Today Maharashtra has strengthened the resolve for a developed India. I congratulate all the workers of BJP and NDA across the country.”
8:17 pm: Shaken by the near-total rout in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Congress said it is “surprised by the unexpected outcome” as it was going against the public sentiments. “We are awaiting the full details on the results from the ECI… We shall analyse it, inquire into all respects and then present it before the people. We have the time,” said AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala told reporters.
8:07 pm: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh hails INDIA bloc for Jharkhand win, congratulates Priyanka for Wayanad victory. He congratulated SP candidates who won their seats in the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for emerging victorious in the Wayanad parliamentary by-elections.
8:00 pm: Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and BJP state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule meet Union minister Nitin Gadkari at the latter’s residence in Nagpur.
On UP bypolls, deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya says, “This is a historic victory and it is a strong foundation for 2027.
7:20 pm: Assam chief minister and BJP senior leader Himanta Biswa said he was “deeply pained” by his party’s performance in Jharkhand. He also congratulated the people of Maharashtra and the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance for retaining power, while expressing gratitude to the people of Assam for supporting NDA nominees in by-polls in all five seats in Assam.
6:30 pm: “Jharkhand jeet gaya hai,” says JMM chief Hemant Soren declaring victory in Assembly polls.
6:30 pm: Rahul Gandhi congratulated his sister and Wayanad MP-elect Priyanka Gandhi for her stupendous win in the Wayanad by poll. “I feel immense pride as my family in Wayanad has placed its trust in Priyanka. I know she will lead with courage, compassion, and unwavering dedication to transform our cherished Wayanad into a beacon of progress and prosperity,” he wrote on X.
6:27 pm: Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar retains Baramati seat by defeating NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar by more than 1 lakh votes.
5:00 pm: Responding to NDA’s enormous victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to the people of the state. In an X post, he said, “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 people that our Alliance will keep working for Maharashtra’s progress.”
PM Modi also congratulated the JMM-led alliance for their victory in Jharkhand.
4:14 pm: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 30 seats in the Maharashtra assembly elections so far and is leading in 106 others, while allies Shiv Sena and NCP bagged 15 and 15 seats respectively.
Prominent BJP winning candidates:
- Sitting MLA Nitesh Rane, who retained the Kankavli assembly seat in Sindhudurg district by a margin of 58,007 votes
- State assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar, who won the Colaba seat by 48,581
- Shivendraraje Bhonsle from Satara who retained the seat by a significant margin of 1,42,124 votes.
Prominent Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) winning candidates:
- Elder son of BJP MP Narayan Rane won by a margin of 8,176 votes.
- State ministers from the party, Uday Samant and Deepak Kesarkar won from Ratnagiri and Sawantwadi constituencies by a margin of 41,590 votes and 39,899 votes respectively.
Prominent NCP (Ajit Pawar) winning candidates:
- Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar won 14 seats and is leading in 27 others.
- Deputy speaker of Maharashtra assembly Narhari Zirwal won the Dindori constituency in Nashik district by 44,403 votes.
- Aditi Tatkare won from Shrivardhan constituency in Raigad district by a margin of 82,798 votes.
3:45 pm: Priyanka Gandhi declares landslide victory in Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls. “My dearest sisters and brothers of Wayanad, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the trust you have placed in me. I will make sure that over time, you truly feel this victory has been your victory and the person you chose to represent you understands your hopes and dreams and fights for you as one of your own,” she said after taking an unassailable lead of 3 lakh votes.
3:41 pm: Eknath Shinde, Devender Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar meet to celebrate Mahayuti’s win
3:10 pm: Devendra Fadnavis celebrates Mahayuti’s win. “I succeeded in breaking the ”chakravyuh” of opposition due to the support of voters, our team and party leaders,” he said.
3:00 pm: AIMIM party candidates are leading in three seats Aurangabad East, Aurangabad Central and Malegaon Central.
After the 16th round of counting the AIMIM Aurangabad Central candidate Siddiqui Naseruddin Taquiuddin is leading with 6243 votes and the Shiv Sena candidate Jaiswal Pradeep Shivnarayan is trailing him. There are 23 rounds of counting.
In Aurangabad East, AIMIM candidate Imtiaz Jaleel, is ahead with a margin of over 2228 votes after the 20th round of counting, with four rounds of counting left. In Malageon, AIMIM candidate, Mufti Mohammad Ismai Abdul Khalique, is ahead with 3791 votes after the 19th round while Asif Shaikh Rasheed, Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra is trailing and there are a total of 25 rounds.
2:45 pm: Yogi Adityanath welcomes win in Uttar Pradesh bypolls with “Batenge toh Katenge, Ek Rahenge-Safe Rahenge” slogans. He also congratulated BJP Maharashtra for the landslide victory.
2:33 pm: Shiv Sena (UBT) workers celebrate as Aaditya Thackery leads from Worli seat.
2:20 pm: As per the ECI, the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP have so far won eight seats.
BJP has secured Ghatkopar East, Wadala and Satara East seats, while the Shiv Sena has won Palghar, Bhiwandi Rural, Mahad. NCP secured the Niphad and Shrivardhan seats.
2:00 pm: BJP candidate Rajan Naik is leading in the Nalasopara Assembly Constituency.
1:20 pm: Aditya Thackrey leads with 4462 votes in Worli against Miling Murli Deora of Shiv Sena
1:00 pm: AIMIM ex-MP Imtiyaz Jaleel leads with 72979 votes followed by BJP’s Atul Moreshwar Save lagging behind 38,448 votes at 34531.
12:44 pm: Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, and congratulated them, reports ANI.
12:41 pm: AAP Punjab workers and Mohali MLA celebrated at the party office in Chandigarh following the party’s lead in all four seats in Punjab bypolls.
12:35 pm: Congress MP and Jharkhand elections observer Tariq Anwar says the party is expecting to secure around 50 seats. “We are not disappointed yet. Our efforts and hopes are still alive, and by 5 PM, the situation could change, and our numbers may increase…”
12:29 pm: Eknath Shinde thanks voters over the landslide victory as Mahayuti gains a thumping majority.
12:00 pm: Of the 16 seats contested by the AIMIM in Maharashtra, the party leads by 38448 votes in Aurangabad East and with 14847 votes in Solapur City Central contested by candidates Imtiyaz Jaleel and Farooq Maqbool Shabdi respectively.
11:35 am: In a Pawar vs Pawar in Maharashtra’s Baramati, NCP’s Ajit Pawar leads by over 27,788 votes against NCP Sharad Pawar’s Yugendra Pawar.
11:31 am: Hoshiarpur, Punjab bypoll; AAP workers joyfully exchanged sweets as they anticipated the victory of their candidate, Ishank Kumar.
11:29 am: Shiv Sena workers burst firecrackers outside CM Eknath Shinde’s residence in Thane as Mahayuti heads towards a landslide victory in Maharashtra Assembly polls.
11:03 am: Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party candidate Tej Pratap Singh is leading in the Karhal Assembly constituency as the counting is underway
10:58 am: Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates have taken an unassailable lead in the bypolls held for six assembly constituencies in West Bengal. The bypolls were held in Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST), following the resignation of sitting MLAs who had secured victories in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, thus vacating their assembly seats.
- In Sitai, a Scheduled Caste (SC) constituency, TMC’s Sangita Roy is leading by 73,452 votes, a margin of 60,493 votes over her nearest rival, Dipak Kumar Ray of the BJP, who has so far secured 12,959 votes.
- In Madarihat, a Scheduled Tribe (ST) seat, TMC’s Jayprakash Toppo is leading by 39,353 votes, ahead of BJP’s Rahul Lohar, who has received 21,375 votes. The seat was won by the BJP in the 2021 assembly polls.
- In Naihati, TMC’s Sanat Dey has secured a substantial lead, having received 40,663 votes against BJP’s Rupak Mitra’s 15,461.
- In Haroa, TMC’s SK Rabiul Islam has garnered 48,107 votes, against his rival, Piyarul Islam of the All India Secular Front, who is trailing with 6,441 votes.
- TMC’s Sujoy Hazra is leading in Medinipur with 32,777 votes, holding a margin of 11,398 votes over BJP’s Subhajit Roy (Bunty), who has secured 21,379 votes.
- In Taldangra, TMC’s Falguni Singhababu is ahead with 17,280 votes, maintaining a lead of 6,324 votes over BJP’s Ananya Roy Chakraborty, who has received 10,956 votes.
10:52 am: Baramati, Maharashtra: Supporters of Maharashtra Deputy CM & NCP Candidate from Baramati Assembly Ajit Pawar burst crackers as Ajit Pawar is leading with 15,382 votes ss per the official EC trends. Mahayuti has crossed the majority mark of 145 seats in the state. (BJP 118, Shiv Sena 56, NCP 37)
10:51 am: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren was leading in the Barhait assembly constituency by a margin of 4,921 votes over BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom.
10:47 am: “NDA will win (in Maharashtra and Jharkhand). We are also going to win in Bihar bypolls because the INDI alliance wants to destroy the nation by communalism,” says Union Minister Giriraj Singh
10:46 am: Congress candidate Gulabsinh Rajput is leading by a margin of 1,174 votes over his nearest rival and BJP candidate Swarupji Thakor in the by-election to the Vav assembly in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district
10:39 am: Kalpana Soren, wife of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren & JMM candidate for Gandey assembly trailing by a margin of 3128 votes, after round 1/21 of counting as per latest EC data.
10:41 am: Congress leader and candidate from Wayanad parliamentary constituency, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrives at her residence in Delhi’s Khan market area. She is leading in the Wayanad parliamentary bypoll in the constituency in Kerala
10:24 am: Ranchi: On counting for #JharkhandElection2024, former state Congress president Rajesh Thakur says, “The trends will change in the results. The trends are coming out well and the margins seem to be increasing continuously. Whether it is a matter of waiving the loans of farmers or providing free electricity for 200 units, the reward will now be visible in the result. BJP has tried again and again to do such politics, when necessary, they tried to loot the government’s majority by sending the Chief Minister to jail. We have worked to eliminate all the efforts made by the BJP. Even if someone tries like this in the future, they will not be spared.”
10:15 am: Priyanka Gandhi leads with 1.2 lakh votes in Wayanad contest
10:12 am: “These are early morning trends. The picture gets clearer after the fourth or fifth round of EVM counting… As far as Maharashtra is concerned, I am very clear because lead margins are very less and a clear picture will emerge by 12-1 pm. In Jharkhand too, I hope that INDIA alliance will form govt,” says Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi as trends suggest lead for BJP-led NDA in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
10:08 am: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren leading by 2,812 votes in Barhait assembly seat
10:06 am: Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party candidate Naseem Solanki says, “If God wills, we will definitely win. Today, we will be rewarded for everyone’s efforts and prayers…”
10:07 am: “There is time, trends suggested something in Lok Sabha polls and the results were completely different. Similarly, you will see that the results today will be good and in our favour. In Wayanad too, the way Priyanka Gandhi is moving ahead, it shows that whether Maharashtra or Jharkhand, Congress and its allies are going to perform well,” says Congress leader Dolly Sharma
09:47 am: On counting of votes in 9 bypolls seats in the state, BJP leader Dayashankar Singh says, “People have expressed their faith in double engine govt of PM Modi and Yogi ji. BJP is leading on 7 out of 9 seats…”
09:38 am: Palakkad bypoll | Workers of different political parties gather outside the counting centre set up at Govt Victoria College in Palakkad, Kerala
09:35 am: “Mahayuti is leading in Maharashtra and the party is also leading in Jharkhand. We will have a big victory in both states. People of the entire nation and Maharashtra as well are with PM Modi,” says BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain
09:32 am: West Bengal: TMC’s Sujoy Hazra leading in Medinipur Assembly by-elections, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.
09:31 am: West Bengal: TMC’s Jayprakash Toppo leading in Madarihat Assembly by-elections, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.
09:22 am: Uttar Pradesh: SP’s Naseem Solanki leading in Sishamau Assembly by-elections by a margin of 2351 votes, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.
09:17 am: Wayanad LS bypoll: Priyanka is in the lead by over 35,000 votes after one hour of counting
09:15 am: Rajasthan: BJP’s Rewant Ram Danga leading in Khinwsar Assembly by-elections by a margin of 2285 votes, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.
09:12 am: Kerala: CPI(M)’s UR Pradeep leading in Chelakkara Assembly by-elections by a margin of 1890 votes, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.
09:10 am: Karnataka: Congress’ E Annapoorna leading in Sandur Assembly by-elections by a margin of 2715 votes, as per the official EC trends. Counting continues.
08:53 am: Wayanad LS bypoll: Priyanka in lead in early trends
08:51 am: BJP leader Zafar Islam says, “BJP will get century and Mahayuti will get double century in Maharashtra. In Jharkhand, we will get a winning half-century…”
08:30 am: Maharashtra Assembly Election Results 2024: “Trends have just started coming in. Everything will be clear by 12 noon. We are fully confident that the people have given us the mandate. We are certain that by this evening, you will see an MVA government in Maharashtra,” says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey.
08:22 am: Maharashtra Assembly Election Results 2024: “In a while, everyone will know the results. Voters of Baramati are very intelligent. They will take the right decision,” says Shrinivas Pawar, father of Yugendra Pawar, NCP (SP) candidate from Baramati seat.
08:17 am: Counting of postal ballots begins. Visuals from a counting centre under Nashik West Assembly constituency in Nashik.
08:14 am: JMM+ at 10, BJP+ at 9 in Jharkhand poll results early trends
08:13 am: BJP+ at 11, INC+ at 10 in Maharashtra poll results early trends
08:06 am: “We are confident that when the results will stabilise, Maharashtra and Jharkhand will choose PM’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Ek Hain Toh Safe Hain’. We are also confident because women’s voting percentage has been high in Maharashtra – in fact the highest after 1962 – this gives us confidence that women have chosen ‘Ladki Bahin’ and PM’s welfare. In Jharkhand, once results stabilise, we are confident that the vote will be against infiltration and appeasement and NDA will form govt there,” says BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.
08:00 am: Counting of votes begins
07:44 am: Jalebis being prepared at BJP headquarters in New Delhi, ahead of the counting of votes in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
07:37 am: Ahead of election results, BJP candidate for Wayanad bypoll, Navya Haridas says, “…Last time Rahul Gandhi had won from Wayanad but he rejected this Mandal and retained Rae Bareli. This time the voting percentage came down as they were not in the mood to face the election after the landslide incident. If people need development in Wayanad, then they would select NDA…”
07:33 am: Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh: The Meerapur Assembly by-election counting starts today at 8 AM with tight security. After 32 rounds, results will be declared, with political agents arriving at the counting center
07:18 am: Maharashtra Assembly Election Results 2024: “I foresee that MVA will get the majority and form the government in Maharashtra,” says Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala
07: 14 am: Tight security outside the counting centre at Pandra Bazar Samiti, Ranchi. Counting of postal ballots will start at 8 am, and the trends and results are likely to start trickling in by 9 am.
07:13 am: Shiv Sena candidate from Mumba Devi assembly constituency, Shaina NC visits Shree Siddhivinayak Temple, in Mumbai to offer prayers ahead of counting for #MaharashtraAssemblyElections2024.
Shaina NC says, “Cluster development and housing is the biggest issue for people in Mumbadevi. If you look at women, what do women want? They want safety and security, there are no hospitals, there are no schools. Unfortunately, open spaces are a distant dream. So I think the entire blueprint needs to be capped out with a proper development plan to make it into a model constituency because unfortunately today it’s probably the most backward constituency in Maharashtra… I am here to seek blessings for Mahayuti govt to come again and we keep working in the service of the people…”
07: 12 am: Ahead of the counting of votes for #JharkhandElection2024, JMM candidate from Ranchi seat, Mahua Maji says, “I am fully confident that the people of Ranchi will definitely elect us because I have seen trust for me in their eyes. I will definitely fulfill their expectations and dreams. The work done by our Government, Hemant Soren has made people raise their expectations. So, we’ll form the Government once again and do the work that we could not due to shortage of time…”
Important points about Maharashtra, Jharkhand elections
- Maharashtra Assembly elections overview: The elections for the Maharashtra Assembly, comprising 288 seats, were held on November 20, 2024.
- Major alliances:
- Mahayuti alliance: Composed of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The BJP contested 149 seats, Shiv Sena fielded candidates in 81 seats, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP in 59 seats.
- Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA): Includes the Congress party, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s faction of the NCP. The Congress contested 101 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) in 95, and NCP (SP) in 86.
- Voter turnout: Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 66.05%, with the highest participation in Gadchiroli and the lowest in Mumbai City.
- Exit Poll predictions: Most exit polls indicated a significant lead for the Mahayuti alliance, suggesting they might retain power. However, some polls hinted at a possible resurgence for the MVA or even a hung assembly.
- Key candidates:
- Mahayuti: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are prominent figures.
- MVA: Key leaders include state Congress chief Nana Patole and Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray.
- By-elections: In addition to the assembly elections, by-elections are being counted for 15 assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand.
- Political dynamics: Both alliances are facing internal challenges regarding leadership decisions if they secure a majority. The Mahayuti alliance is grappling with competition among its factions for the Chief Ministerial position, while the MVA is dealing with disagreements over who should lead if they win.
