Mahayuti (225) Vs MVA (50); Congress Accepts Defeat

By Fnf correspondent | PUBLISHED: 23, Nov 2024, 16:45 pm IST | UPDATED: 23, Nov 2024, 16:45 pm IST

Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha Result 2024 LIVE Updates: The wait is over and the counting of votes has surprised the political observers. The BJP-led Mahayuti has swept the polls with a decisive mandate while the Opposition Mahayuti is sturggling to win even 50 seats. The Mahayuti is leading on 224 seats while the Maha Vikas Aghadi is leading on 52 seats. The Mahayuti is likely to hold its swearing-in ceremony on November 26 as Devendra Fadnavis leads the CM post race.

The 288 assembly seats voted in single phase on November 20 and the counting of votes is underway. The state has recorded around 66% voting, highest since 1995.

BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP form the ruling Mahayuti Alliance while Congress-NCPSP-Sena UBT are part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. In the assembly 2019 polls, the BJP had bagged 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44 seats. In the 2014 assembly election, the BJP had won 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, Congress 42 and NCP 41 seats.

In what is being termed as make-or-break election for the regional satraps, the fate of both factions of Shiv Sena and the NCP hangs in balance. Sharad Pawar, his bete noire Ajit Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, his rival Eknath Shinde and other state leaders are set to witness the result of a litmus test they underwent in the last one and half month. The 2024 Assembly elections mark a significant shift in Maharashtra’s political landscape, with both the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) entering the fray after internal splits. The Shiv Sena is now divided between factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray, with the latter steering the Shiv Sena-UBT. Similarly, the NCP is split between Sharad Pawar, who leads the NCP (Sharad Pawar), and Ajit Pawar, heading his faction of the party.

The performance of these four regional stalwarts is poised to influence the strategies and fortunes of the two national parties, the BJP and Congress. On the BJP-led side, the BJP is contesting 149 seats, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP 59 seats. Meanwhile, the opposition alliance features the Congress contesting 101 seats, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) 95 seats, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) 86 seats. This election is shaping up to be a decisive battle that could redefine Maharashtra’s political dynamics and set the tone for broader national political trends.

As Mahayuti is set to form the govt in the state, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said, "We could not recognize this tsunami. In a democracy, the public is the most important. We respect the decision of the public and congratulate those who formed the government in Maharashtra. We need to introspect where we went wrong. Our manifesto was very good, we talked about all sections of the society. We never gave slogans like 'Ek rahenge, safe rahenge' and 'Katenge toh bantenge'... We are sad that we could not win the trust of the public... We never expected such a huge defeat... It is very unfortunate that we are not even in a position to sit in the opposition... We will win the trust of the public again.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "People have given their mandate and people have accepted Eknath Shinde as the real Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar has got the legitimacy of NCP.