Maharashtra, Jharkhand Election Results 2024 Live: BJP-led Mahayuti is leading in 207 out of 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra

In Bye Election to Parliamentary Constituencies held in Kerala, Priyanka Vadra of Congress leads on Wayanad seat by over 1.4 lakh votes. While Priyanka has already got 2.13 lakh votes, Satyan Mokeri of CPI has bagged 73202 votes and Navya Haridas of BJP 41121 votes. 

The JMM-led INDIA bloc was leading in 46 of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand while the BJP-headed NDA was ahead in 29 as the counting of votes was underway on Saturday, according to trends available on the Election Commission’s website.

As per the trends in 73 of the 81 seats, the INDIA bloc was leading in 46, the NDA in 29 and an independent and JKLM in one each till 10.15 AM. Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren was leading by 2,812 votes in Barhait assembly seat after the first round of counting.

NDA ally AJSU Party supremo Sudesh Mahto was trailing by 3,998 votes over JMM’s Amit Kumar in Silli after the second round of counting. In Jaganathpur, former MP and BJP nominee Geeta Kora was trailing by 1,790 votes from Congress’ Sonaram Sinku.

JMM’s Ramsurya Munda in Khunti was leading by 1,448 votes over BJP’s Neelkanth Singh Munda. Former CM and BJP nominee Champai Soren was trailing by 2,986 votes in Seraikela as against the JMM’s Ganesh Mahli.

Kumar Jaimangal Singh of the Congress in Bermo was leading by a margin of 3,610 votes over his nearest rival Ravindra Pandey of the BJP. Congress minister Rameshwar Oraon was ahead by 1,841 votes over AJSU Party’s Niru Shanti Bhagat after the second round of counting.

Congress nominee Naman Bixal Kongari in Kolebira was ahead of others. In Simdega, BJP candidate Shradhanand Besra was leading. BJP’s Satyendra Nath Tiwari in Garhwa was ahead by 190 votes over his rival Mithilesh Kumar Tharkur of the JMM.

In Koderma, Subhash Yadav of the RJD was leading by 1,481 votes over BJP’s Neera Yadav. From Chatra, RJD’s Rashmi Prakash was ahead by 988 votes. The results will decide the electoral fate of a total of 1,211 candidates, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren who contested from Barhait, his wife Kalpana from Gandey, former CM and BJP state president Babulal Marandi from Dhanwar and ex-CM Champai Soren from Seraikela.

Other prominent candidates include Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato of the JMM from Nala, Deepika Pandey Singh of Congress from Mahagama, Sita Soren (sister-in-law of CM Hemant Soren) from Jamtara, AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto from Silli.

Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said the counting is underway amid tight security arrangements and is likely to be completed by 4 PM. The lowest 13-round counting will pertain to the Torpa assembly segment while the counting for the Chatra seat will be held for the highest 24 rounds, he said.

This time, voter turnout reached a record 67.74 per cent, the highest since the formation of Jharkhand on November 15, 2000. The assembly elections were held in two phases - November 13 and 20. Forty-three seats went to polls in the first round and 38 in the second. (PTI) 

BJP leader Pravin Darekar has stated that the “Dharma Yuddha” led by Devendra Fadnavis has been accepted and acknowledged by the people. Darekar said that Devendra Fadnavis will be the Chief Minister, adding, “We have received immense blessings from the voters. I salute the ladli behan (beloved sisters).”

In bye election to assembly constituencies held in Kerala, C Krishnakumar of BJP leads by 1015 votes on Palakkad seat (end of Round 5), while UR Pradeep of CPI (M) leads by over 7500 votes on Chelakkara seat

Lead trends in Maharashtra suggest that the BJP may secure a majority on its own, without needing to rely on its alliance partners, NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde). Currently, the BJP is leading in 122 seats, while the BJP-led alliance is ahead in 222 seats.

Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi was leading by1,840 votes over CPIML’s Rajkumar Yadav in Dhanwar assembly seat after the first round of counting of votes, according to the Election Commission of India.

Marandi won the Dhanwar seat in the 2019 assembly polls as a Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) candidate by defeating BJP’s Lakshman Prasad Singh by a margin of 17,550 votes. Later, he joined the BJP.

JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI (ML) Liberation are jointly contesting Jharkhand polls under the INDI Alliance. (PTI)

Shiv Sena (Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut has said that the results are unexpected and unacceptable, claiming that they do not reflect the people’s mandate. He asserted that anyone who believes in democracy will not accept these results, suggesting there may have been fraud in the elections. 

Shiv Sena (Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut has claimed that money power was used in the elections, stating, “There is a conspiracy behind these results.”

In Bye elections held for 9 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, BJP candidates lead on 6 seats, Samajwadi Party on 2 seats and Rashtriya Lok Dal on one seat

According to EC, BJP is leading in 31 seats, Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde in 20 seats, Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar in 15 seats, Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar in 8, Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray in 4 seats and INC in 5 seats in Maharashtra.

Kolambkar widens lead in Wadala constituency in Mumbai

At the end of round 3: L 

Kolambkar BJP - 17604

Shraddha Jadhav - 3871

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is leading by over 3,000 votes in the Baramati Assembly constituency, where he is contesting against his nephew Yugendra Pawar, the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) candidate.

Kalidas Kolambkar - 6581 votes Shraddha Jadhav Shiv Sena (UBT) - 925 votes

The Congress-led MVA is leading in 115 seats, with Congress ahead in 45 seats, Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) in 33 seats, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) in 38 seats.

The BJP is leading in 85 seats, with its alliance partners Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) ahead in 27 seats and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) in 24 seats. Overall, the BJP-led alliance is now leading in 135 seats, approaching the full majority mark of 145.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar leading in Baramati.

“I have come here to seek blessings of Shree Siddhivinayak. I am confident that I will emerge victorious with his blessings. Just like me, candidates of Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar’s party will also win and Mahayuti will form govt in Maharashtra again.” Said Sanjay Nirupam, Shiv Sena candidate from Dindoshi constituency to reporters.

The BJP-led alliance is leading in the majority of seats in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra.

The BJP-led Mahayuti is now leading in 115 seats, the Congress-led MVA in 90 seats, while others are ahead in 14 seats.

As the counting of Maharashtra Assembly elections got underway on Saturday, the Pune police have made strong security arrangements with an adequate number of personnel.Speaking to ANI, Pune Rural Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sudarshan Rathore said that 250 jawans and 20 officials are present in Baramati to avoid any mishappening during the counting process.“As per the ECI guidelines, we have made a three-tier security arrangement here. There are inner-middle and outer cordons placed here...We are checking everyone, mobile phones are not allowed inside. Around 250 jawans and 20 officials are present here today,” he said.One of the most anticipated battles in these elections is taking place in Baramati. Where Ajit Pawar is contesting Yugendra Pawar, the son of his younger brother, Shrinivas Pawar.Baramati also drew attention in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when Sunetra Pawar challenged Supriya Sule, who ultimately won by a margin of 1.5 lakh votes.

The BJP is emerging as the single largest party, leading in 56 seats. Its alliance partner, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), is ahead in 16 seats, while NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) is leading in 15 seats.

The BJP-led Mahayuti is leading in 78 seats, the Congress-led MVA in 64 seats, while others, including independent candidates, are ahead in 10 seats.

1327 postal votes being counted in Mahim constituency

Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Wadala, Shraddha Jadhav on Saturday expressed confidence in the victory of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and saying that their victory is certain. She asserted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi will form the government in the state.“Results will come out today. Our victory is certain, you will see it...Maha Vikas Aghadi will form the Government,” Jaddhav told ANI.

Raj Thackeray’s son Amit is leading in Mahim constituency

BJP-led Mahayuti leads in 51 seats, and Congress-led MVA leads in 37 seats in Maharashtra.

Aditya Thackeray leading in Worli assembly constituency

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra has collected letters of support from more than 160 of its candidates and some independents, pledging their backing for the alliance in forming a government in the state if voted to power.

The counting of votes for the elections to the 288-member legislative assembly held on November 20 began on Saturday.

The letters of support collected from more than 160 candidates will be presented to the governor after declaration of results, sources said.

According to the sources, it is a normal practice.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis leading in Kopri-Pachpakhadi and Nagpur respectively.

The BJP-led Mahayuti is leading in 28 seats, while the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi is ahead in 16 seats based on ballot votes in Maharashtra

Counting of postal ballots begins in Maharashtra.

Counting of votes in the Maharashtra assembly elections began Saturday morning, 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.

The counting of votes commenced at 8 am in all the counting centres in the state, an election official said.

At the counting centres, officials first began verifying and counting the postal ballots, with the counting of EVM votes scheduled to start at 8.30 am. There will be a minimum of 20 rounds of counting in each assembly segment, an official said.

The final turnout in the polls, held on November 20, was 66.05 per cent, up from 61.1 per cent in 2019.

Counting of votes also began at 8 am for the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll, where 67.81 per cent voting was recorded on November 20.

Ahead of the counting of votes for the Maharashtra Election 2024, former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot stated that there is a strong possibility of the INDIA alliance forming the government.“Congress and the INDIA alliance are fully prepared in Mumbai. Tomorrow, we will reach there and stay. All the arrangements for the counting of votes have been made; now, let’s see what happens tomorrow. There is every possibility that the INDIA alliance government will be formed... I will be in Mumbai tomorrow. All the arrangements have been made, and I have just spoken to them,” said Ashok Gehlot

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said that they are very confident of winning the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections as the INDIA bloc fought the poll together, and the atmosphere is in their favour.Speaking to ANI, Gehlot refuted exit polls that have predicted a win for the BJP-led NDA in both the poll-bound states.“If the exit polls are speaking against us, they were in our favour in Haryana. When the results start coming, we will know the situation. We are fully confident that the people have given their blessings to the India block. INDIA Bloc fought the elections together and the atmosphere is in our favour,” he said.The former Rajasthan Chief Minister also slammed the BJP and said, “Our effort is to maintain harmony in democracy but the party in power always polarises. They create an environment of unrest.”

Security beefed up outside 171 Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar counting centre in Mumbai for the counting of votes that will begin at 8 am.

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In this BL podcast, Siddharth Mathew Cherian speaks to Radheshyam Jadhav, deputy editor at businessline, who has extensively covered the issues across the length and breadth of Maharashtra. He will share his insights on what’s at stake in this election. 

Listen in to the podcast here

Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Kedar Dighe, who contested against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly seat in Thane, on Friday alleged irregularities in the post voting process, including storing poll materials in the observation room instead of the strong room.

Moreover, the observation room does not have CCTV coverage, he further claimed and showed some videos to reporters to buttress his allegations.

“The envelopes containing postal ballots are not sealed. The Election Commission must look into these irregularities and take action against the personnel. It should order repoll in the seat,” Dighe said.

Maharashtra, which went to the polls on November 20 to elect a new 288-member assembly, recorded a voter turnout of 65.11 per cent—the highest since the 1995 assembly elections, which saw a turnout of 71.69 per cent.

Although the voter turnout stood at 58.22 per cent by 5 PM, efforts by candidates, particularly in rural areas, to mobilize voters and bring them to polling stations significantly boosted the numbers in the final hours.

This turnout surpasses the 61.39 per cent recorded during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and is notably higher than the 60.56 per cent seen in the 2019 assembly elections.

Rural areas of the state reported higher voter turnout compared to urban regions. For instance, Kolhapur and Gadchiroli registered impressive voting percentages of 76.25 and 73.68, respectively, while Mumbai City recorded 52.07 per cent and Mumbai Suburban 55.77 per cent.

The rift between the Maratha and OBC communities has never been so profound in a state long celebrated for its progressive ethos. But now, caste lines are deep, and battle cries are loud

What happened on the voting day: BusinessLine’s Live Blog

The ruling Mahayuti is poised to retain power in Maharashtra with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) also putting up a strong show in assembly polls, most exit polls predicted on Wednesday after conclusion of polling on 288 seats in the state.

According to Republic TV-PMARQ exit poll, the Mahayuti alliance could win 137-157 seats whereas the Maha Vikas Aghadi could get 126-147 seats and others 2-8 seats.

Mahayuti includes BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP).

ABP-Matrize exit poll projected 150-170 seats for the Mahayuti alliance and 110-130 seats for Maha Vikas Aghadi. It said others could get 8-10 seats.

With exit polls offering mixed signals, the major parties have directed their MLAs to stay in Mumbai, where luxury hotels are being booked to prevent potential poaching.

The results of fierce electoral battle in Maharashtra will unfold soon with the leaders of ruling Mahayuti and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) expressing confidence of their victories in a keenly-watched outcome that has long-term implications for various players, particularly the two parties which have seen splits.Votes will be counted from 8 am and trends are expected to emerge in the next two hours. Mahayuti, which includes BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP is locked in a fierce contest with MVA that includes Congress, Shiv Sena(UBT) and NCP(SP).Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly was held on Wednesday, with 66.05 per cent polling recorded in the state against nearly 61 per cent in the 2019 Assembly elections.Mahayuti and MVA leaders are both interpreting the increased voting percentage as a sign of greater support for them.