Updated

Mumbai/Ranchi, Nov 23 (IANS): The BJP-led Mahayuti stormed back to power in Maharashtra with a historic landslide that saw it on course to get over 230 seats in the 288-member Assembly, utterly crushing the MVA, which was reduced to less than 50 seats, while in Jharkhand, the JMM became the first party to retain power for a second consecutive term.

The BJP also dominated the bypolls to 48 Assembly constituencies in 14 states, sweeping Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand, while winning a major chunk of the seats in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. However, it faced setbacks in Karnataka, Punjab, and West Bengal and split honours with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh.

In some solace for the INDIA bloc, it retained Jharkhand, while for the Congress, there was cause to cheer as General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi won her debut election from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, while the party also managed to retain the Nanded Lok Sabha seat and to win all three Assembly bypolls in Karnataka, wresting away one seat from both the BJP and the Janata Dal-Secular. The Trinamool Congress won all six Assembly bypolls in West Bengal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nine rallies across Maharashtra and his slogan of “ek hai toh safe hai” appear to have worked magic for the BJP, which was set to win 133 seats in the sprawling western state, while its major allies, the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party of Ajit Pawar, were likely to end up with 57 and 41, respectively.

The Mahayuti's unprecedented triumph may spell curtains for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party which were utterly demolished by their Mahayuti rivals. Even the Congress was badly singed, with its state chief Nana Patole himself losing the election, though by 660 votes odd.

The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) also failed to open its account, despite all its hyperbole.

Prime Minister Modi termed the verdict given by the people of Maharashtra to the Mahayuti, which swept back to power with a near absolute majority, as a "stamp" of approval for the good governance of the BJP-led government.

“Without a doubt, the Maharashtra result is historic. The verdict of Maharashtra is a stamp for the BJP model of good governance. The people of Maharashtra have blessed us for the time because they trust us. The BJP has also become the largest party in Maharashtra for the third time,” said PM Modi in his victory speech at BJP headquarters in the national capital.

“Maharashtra has witnessed the triumph of development, good governance, and genuine social justice. The forces of deception, divisive politics, and family dynasties have been defeated. Maharashtra has strengthened its resolve for a developed India,” PM Modi said.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, of the BJP, said that the people of Maharashtra have voted against the toxic propaganda by electing those who are fighting against the fake narratives, and that the state's people solidly back the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chief Minister Shinde, accompanied by his deputies Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, thanked the common man for MahaYuti’s resounding performance while accepting the development politics and welfare schemes, rejecting the anti-growth and negative politics. He said that three parties will sit together and make a decision on the Chief Minister’s post.

Terming the poll performance ‘’historical,’’ he said: ‘’We have won the minds and not the votes of people."

NCP President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that their victory is a reflection of the people’s trust in the developmental work done by the government and the capable leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at the Centre. The hard work put in by Chief Minister Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, and every representative and worker of the alliance over the last two and a half years has borne fruit, he added.

A stunned Shiv Sena-UBT President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray said that it seemed like a tsunami swept aside the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), but felt that there was some ‘gadbad’ (something amiss).

"It was not just a wave, but a tsunami… This was beyond all expectations… Some say it’s the victory of the EVMs… Maybe. But if it's also acceptable to the masses then we have nothing to add," he told media persons.

The BJP victory in Maharashtra is likely to embolden the NDA to take on the opposition in the coming Winter session of Parliament.

In Jharkhand, however, Hemant Soren withstood anti-incumbency and a determined BJP onslaught to retain power with a bigger margin against the 47 seats in the 81-member house won in 2019. His Jharkhand Mukti Morcha scooped up 34 seats on its own, while allies Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist-Liberation won 14, four, and two, respectively.

Hemant Soren thanked the people of the state following a decisive victory for his party and allies in the Assembly elections.

"We are going to create the history of 'Abua Raj, Abua Sarkar' (Our rule, our government) in Jharkhand," he told media persons.

“This was a landmark election. People would never have seen such an election in the state’s democratic journey. We have successfully passed the test of democracy," he said.

Meanwhile, with Priyanka Gandhi entering the Lok Sabha, the Parliament will, for the first time, have three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family, with her joining her brother Rahul Gandhi, the former Wayanad MP and current Rae Bareli representative and mother and former party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Final results:
 

Maharashtra (288 seats – Target 145)

NDA (Mahayuti) - 234
INDIA (MVA) - 48
Others - 6 

Jharkhand (81 seats - Target 41)

INDIA (Cong, JMM) - 56
NDA (BJP) - 24
Others - 1

Earlier update

New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS): All eyes will be on the much-awaited counting of votes for the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, which will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Early trends are expected to trickle in by 9 a.m., offering the first glimpse into the outcome of these high-stakes battles.

Results of the bypolls held across 48 assembly constituencies and two parliamentary seats in 13 states will al;so be declared on Saturday.

The BJP, buoyed by its performance in Haryana's Assembly elections after setbacks in the Lok Sabha polls, is eyeing a decisive win in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

In Maharashtra, the party is allied with the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Meanwhile, the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies are aiming to retain Jharkhand and wrest power from the ruling MahaYuti alliance in Maharashtra.

Adding to the drama, results will be declared for 48 Assembly bypolls and two high-profile parliamentary constituencies: Nanded in Maharashtra and Wayanad in Kerala.

Wayanad is also a prestige battle for the Congress, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's electoral debut in focus after her brother Rahul Gandhi, who previously represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha, vacated the seat.

The 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly witnessed a single-phase election on November 20, with voter turnout at 66.05 per cent. While urban centres like Mumbai recorded a lukewarm 52.65 per cent turnout, tribal-dominated Gadchiroli led with 70 per cent.

The ruling MahaYuti alliance, consisting of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BJP, and Ajit Pawar's NCP faction, is vying for a second term. On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) -- a coalition of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s NCP--put up a tough fight to stage a comeback.

Key seats in focus include Worli, where Shiv Sena (UBT) scion Aaditya Thackeray, the incumbent, faces Shinde Sena’s Milind Deora. In Baramati, it’s a family showdown between Ajit Pawar and his nephew Yugendra Pawar from the NCP (SP). Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis may face a tough challenge from Congress candidate Prafful Gudadhe in his stronghold of Nagpur South West.

The BJP emerged as the largest party in the 2019 elections, winning 105 seats. Together with its then-ally Shiv Sena, it secured a majority of 161 seats. However, Shiv Sena broke ties with the BJP and joined hands with Congress and NCP, creating the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister. The MVA coalition's tenure ended in 2022 after a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who formed the government with BJP's support.

Three exit polls predict that the MahaYuti alliance is likely to return to power for a second term, securing around 158 seats, comfortably above the majority mark of 145 seats.

Jharkhand's two-phase elections, held on November 13 and 20, saw a record turnout of 67.74 per cent, the highest since the state's creation in 2000.

The ruling INDIA bloc, led by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), is striving to retain power for a second term. The BJP-led NDA, however, is determined to wrest control, leveraging anti-incumbency and corruption allegations.

Jharkhand witnessed high-octane campaigning, with the BJP accusing the JMM-led government of corruption and appeasement politics, while Chief Minister Hemant Soren's coalition countered with welfare promises and criticism of the alleged misuse of central agencies.

Key constituencies to watch include Barhait, where Chief Minister Hemant Soren faces BJP's Gamaliyan Hembrom, and Gandey, where his wife Kalpana Soren is up against BJP's Muniya Devi. In Seraikella, Champai Soren, a former JMM leader, clashes with Ganesh Mahali, a BJP defector now with the JMM. Meanwhile, Jamtara will see a high-profile contest between Congress leader Irfan Ansari and Sita Soren, Hemant Soren's sister-in-law.

Assembly bypolls across nine states, including Uttar Pradesh (9 seats), Rajasthan (7), West Bengal (6), Kerala (2), Madhya Pradesh (2), and Sikkim (2), are equally significant. These contests will not only test regional parties but also offer a glimpse into voter sentiment.