BJP Alliance Secures Over Three-Quarters of Seats in Maharashtra; Fadnavis May Return as CM
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is headed towards retaining power in Maharashtra with a massive majority. According to the latest data released by the Election Commission, out of 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, BJP and its allies are leading in about 229 seats. The performance of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has been very poor and its candidates are leading in only 46 seats
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has made a resounding comeback in Maharashtra with a massive majority. In the 288-seat assembly, 145 seats are needed for a majority, while the Mahayuti has either won or is leading in 231 seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has been reduced to just 45 seats, with the ruling alliance capturing nearly 80% of the seats. Given the BJP's strong performance, there is speculation about former Chief Minister and current Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis returning to the top post.
By 7:15 PM, the Election Commission had announced results for 226 of the 288 seats. Of these, BJP has secured 99, Shiv Sena 47, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 37 seats. The BJP is leading in 34 more seats, Shiv Sena in 10, and NCP in 4.
Within the MVA, Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) has won 18 seats, Congress 10, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) 10 seats. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) is leading in 2 seats, while Congress is ahead in 5.
The BJP and its allies performed far better than expected. After losing 17 out of 48 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Mahayuti has staged a strong recovery. Analysts believe that the BJP-led government succeeded in addressing voter discontent through its policies and welfare programs. Meanwhile, the MVA failed to replicate its Lok Sabha success, with NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) performing the worst.
The ruling Shiv Sena faction contested 81 seats and appears to be winning 57. The BJP contested 149 seats and is leading or has won 133. The NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) contested 59 seats and is winning 41.
Congress contested 101 seats but is leading or has won only 15. Sharad Pawar’s NCP contested 86 seats and has won 10. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) contested 95 seats and is leading or has won 20.
In the outgoing assembly, BJP held 105 seats, Shiv Sena 41, NCP 40, Congress 45, Shiv Sena (UBT) 15, NCP (SP) 12, VBA 3, Samajwadi Party 2, AIMIM 2, Prahar Janshakti Party 2, MNS 1, CPM 1, PWP 1, Swabhimani Paksha 1, RSP 1, Jan Surajya Shakti 1, Krantikari Shetkari Paksha 1, and 13 independents.
