Maharashtra Election 2024 Highlights: Ignore exit polls, MVA will win with 157-162 seats, Sharad Pawar tells party candidates
Maharashtra Election Result 2024 News Highlights: While a majority of exit polls have predicted that Mahayuti will retain power, a few have favoured the MVA.
The state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule. (File)
Mumbai, Maharashtra News Highlights: In a candid online meeting, NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar urged party candidates to disregard exit polls, confidently predicting a Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) victory with 157-162 seats. With one day to go for counting of votes in the state Assembly elections, the MVA, consisting of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) and the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, have expressed confidence that their respective alliance will form the next government. State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “Mahayuti will cross magic mark 145 seats. Will form government comfortably.” Meanwhile, MVA leaders confident of forming government are holding informal meetings.
However, fissures have emerged within these alliances, with leaders differing on their picks for the CM face. On Thursday, a war of words broke out between Congress state president Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut over the chief ministerial face of MVA. Reacting to exit polls, most of which projected a win for the BJP-led bloc, Patole had said, “The MVA government will be formed in the state under the leadership of the Congress.” Raut rejected the statement and said, “I cannot accept it… If Patole has said this then I want to ask whether he has the command of the Congress to say such things. We will sit together and discuss it.”
What was the turnout? Even as Maharashtra recorded a high voter turnout in the Assembly elections, as many as 24 seats showed a decline in the turnout of which eight each were in the Marathwada, the epicentre of Maratha reservation agitation, and Western Maharashtra regions. The state recorded a voter turnout of 66.05 per cent in the November 20 election — the highest after 71. 7 per cent recorded in the 1995 Assembly polls.
Live Updates
22:27 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: MVA will win 160-165 seats, CM will be chosen in '12 hours', says Wadettiwar
The Maha Vikas Aghadi will win 160-165 seats in the Maharashtra assembly polls and the chief minister will be chosen within 12 hours of the results being declared, senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said on Friday.
Polls to the 288-member assembly took place on Wednesday, while results will be declared on Saturday.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi comprises the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP).
"MVA will win 160-615 seats. We will come to power tomorrow and I will be part of the government," said Wadettiwar, who is the leader of the opposition in the assembly.
"The alliance will pick the CM within 12 hours of poll results," he said.
(PTI)
21:13 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: Why Maharashtra, Jharkhand poll results are a pivotal moment for Congress, future of Opposition unity
Barely five months ago in the Lok Sabha polls, a united Opposition under the INDIA bloc banner, managed to punch holes in the BJP’s tally, reducing it from 303 to 240, denting its morale and air of preeminence in the process.
However, since the Lok Sabha results, leaders of the INDIA bloc have not been seen together — even for perfunctory photo ops — despite the alliance existing on paper and its leaders speaking in the same vein against the BJP.
With its momentum losing steam, Saturday will be key for the Congress as well as many parties of the INDIA bloc. The battlegrounds this time are Maharashtra, a state where the BJP suffered its heaviest losses in the Lok Sabha polls, and Jharkhand. Read More
20:59 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: What is at stake for BJP in Maharashtra, Jharkhand
If the victory in Haryana and the commendable performance in Jammu came as a relief for the BJP after the Lok Sabha election slide and the perception that the party was on a decline, the results of Maharashtra and Jharkhand, due on Saturday, will decide how the party fares in the battle of perception.
If the NDA wins the two states — or even if it wins only Maharashtra, where it’s called the Mahayuti — the BJP will have a spring in its stride as the Lok Sabha election results will be seen as more an aberration in its victorious march over the last 10 years.
At the same time, the party will have better coordination with its allies if it is seen as retaining winnability, as the very logic of coalitions is to maximize electoral gains and have a better chance of forming governments where a party cannot win on its own. Read More
20:47 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: Maha Vikas Aghadi forming next govt in Maharashtra, says Balasaheb Thorat
Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat on Friday said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT), will form the next government in Maharashtra.
Speaking ahead of the counting of votes in the Maharashtra assembly elections on Saturday, Thorat, who is the Congress' frontrunner for the CM's post, said, “We (MVA) won't have any difficulty in definitely and easily forming the next government in the state.” Thorat, who met Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP(SP) leader Sharad Pawar in Mumbai, said, “Our numbers will be so good that we won't even have to look for the numbers from outside the MVA coalition.
Thorat, who is seeking re-election as an MLA for the ninth term, faced a challenge from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's Amol Khatal in the Sangamner constituency in the November 20 elections.
(PTI)
20:38 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: On result eve, as Mahayuti & MVA dial independents, rebels to board up, 5 things to watch out for
Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election results Saturday, the ruling Mahayuti and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi have begun reaching out to independent and rebel candidates should their need arise to cross the halfway mark in the 288-member House.
Hotels have been booked and helicopters kept ready in case winning independents need to be transported quickly. On Friday, parties held online meetings to issue final directions to candidates. NCP (SP) state unit chief Jayant Patil told candidates not to leave the counting centres until the last vote is counted.
The Congress too asked candidates and polling agents to match numbers on Form 17 C handed to polling agents before the start of counting of votes. All candidates have been told to leave the counting centres only after collecting certificates from returning officers and to reach Mumbai Saturday night itself. Read More
18:39 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: Congress and the INDIA alliance are ready for tomorrow, says Ashok Gehlot
"Congress and the INDIA alliance are ready for tomorrow. We will go to Bombay tomorrow. We had received complaints during Haryana (Assembly polls) but we are prepared this time. Let's wait for tomorrow... INDIA alliance will form the government (in Maharashtra)," says Congress leader Ashok Gehlot (
@ashokgehlot51) ) on counting of votes scheduled to be held tomorrow.
18:35 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: 6,000 teams deployed in Maharashtra
“All the people of Maharashtra are looking forward to the results. We have made elaborate arrangements for that. We have deployed 6,000 teams to count the votes… At 6 am tomorrow, the EVMs and postal ballots will brought to the counting centres. At around 8 am, the counting will start,” says state Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam.
18:30 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: Congress assigns AICC observers for Maharashtra
Ahead of result day tomorrow, Congress President has appointed senior leaders as AICC observers to monitor post-election developments. For Maharashtra, Shri Ashok Gehlot, Shri Bhupesh Baghel, and Dr. G. Parameshwara have been deputed. The appointments highlight the party's focus on ensuring smooth coordination in the states.
17:05 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: Why coalition politics is here to stay in Maharashtra
In the last 34 years, no political party in Maharashtra has been able to achieve the halfway mark of 145 seats required to form a government on its own. This means that the coalition politics trend that gained a foothold in the state in 1995 is likely to continue once the Assembly election results are declared on Saturday with either the Mahayuti or the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalitions forming the government.
After a bitter battle for 288 Assembly seats, as the final countdown begins, both three-party alliances are leaving no stone unturned to confront the political challenges that are likely to emerge from the public mandate.
While the BJP contested the highest number of seats, 148, it will have to heavily depend on its partners, the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, to cobble together the numbers. Similarly, the Congress, which has contested 101 seats, will also have to rely on the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) to reach the magic mark if it gets a sizable vote.
16:34 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live:18 seats saw more than 10 percentage points increase
18 seats witnessed more than 10 percentage points increase in voter turnout with Palghar leading with 24 percentage point jump in voting over that in 2019.
Of the 288 assembly constituencies, 262 seats witnessed a rise in voter turnout. Only 26 saw a decline.
16:23 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live: 12.5% surge in voter turnout across 288 constituencies
Since the Lok Sabha elections, the number of voters who exercised their rights across the 288 assembly constituencies has jumped by 71 lakh or 12.5%. This means on an average every seat has 24,600 additional votes, which could be a key factor in the election results tomorrow.
16:18 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live: Preparations underway for counting votes
BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde on Friday sent a defamation notice to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate. This legal action comes in response to what Tawde describes as a campaign of misinformation aimed at damaging his reputation and that of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a post on X, Tawde stated, “The only work of Congress is to spread lies! I have sent a defamation notice to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate in the false Nallasopara case because they have tried to malign my image and that of the Bharatiya Janata Party by spreading lies in this matter. The truth is before everyone that the alleged amount of Rs 5 crore was not recovered during the investigation conducted by the Election Commission and the police. This case is a complete proof of Congress’s low-level politics.”
15:39 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live: Kharge confident of Cong and allies coming to power in Maharashtra, Jharkhand
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday expressed confidence about his party and its alliance partners coming to power in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, whose Assembly poll results are scheduled for November 23.
He said, Congress has performed better in these polls.
"We have expectations (of winning), we have worked, let's see what happens tomorrow, we will get to know tomorrow. Whatever I say now, it will be a speculation," Kharge said in response to a question on his poll results expectations.
15:35 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live: Women voters to shape Maharashtra polls, turnout surges to 65.21%
Women voteswill play a crucial role in the Maharashtra election results tomorrow. While overall voter turnout increased by 4.7 percentage points to 66.05, women voter turnout for the state rose by almost 6 percentage points to 65.21.
13:22 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live: Raut says Mahayuti offering bribes to Independents, BJP hits back
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut alleged Friday that the BJP-led Mahayuti has been contacting Independent candidates and offering them bribes in the recently held Maharashtra Assembly elections. After Raut made the remarks, the BJP hit back, saying it didn’t want to snatch his right to dream.
Raut said, “Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and their leaders are not confident of winning the Assembly elections and, therefore, they are now offering bribes to Independents who they think are likely to win… This desperation in the Mahayuti clearly shows that we are winning”.
13:19 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: Rural Maharashtra turnout higher than urban areas - do numbers show who has the edge?
With Maharashtra recording nearly a five percentage point jump in voter turnout and touching 66.05% in the Assembly polls, its highest since 1995, a granular look at the data reveals that 268 of the 288 seats in the state registered a spike as compared to 2019 while 20 saw a decline.
In the election on Wednesday, 11 constituencies saw an over 10 percentage point increase in turnout while it was more than five percentage points in 102 seats. Eight of the 11 seats are in Thane (6) and Palghar (2) districts, the former being Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s home turf and the latter seen as a region where he holds considerable sway.
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: 'Confident of Congress victory in Maharashtra, Jharkhand', says Sachin Pilot
Sachin Pilot says that he is confident of Maharashtra's victory in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. "Maharashtra, Jharkhand results will provide 'reality check' to BJP, NDA," he says.
13:04 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra News Live Updates: 3 killed, nine hospitalised following gas leak at fertiliser plant
Three persons, including two women, were killed and nine others hospitalised following a gas leak after a blast in a reactor at a fertiliser plant in Maharashtra's Sangli district, an official said on Friday.
The incident took place around 6.30 pm on Thursday at the Myanmar Chemical Company in Shalgaon MIDC of Kadegaon tehsil in the district, he said. Police said a reactor at the fertiliser plant exploded releasing chemical fumes.
“Due to the gas leak, some 12 people in the unit were affected and taken to hospital. Of them, two women workers and a security guard have died. Nine others are being treated,” said Sangram Shewale, senior inspector of Kadegaon police station. Sangli Superintendent of Police Sandip Ghuge said the gas is suspected to be ammonia. -- PTI
11:48 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Election 2024 Live Updates: MVA leaders hold informal meetings ahead of counting of votes
MVA leaders confident of forming government are holding informal meetings.
11:44 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Elections News Live Updates: 'Will form govt comfortably', says state BJP chief
State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule says, "Mahayuti will cross magic mark 145 seats. Will form government comfortably. The CM decision will be taken by central leaders and parliamentary board."
11:42 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Elections News Live Updates: 'Will support parties in govt formation if we get good numbers', says Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar says, "If we get good numbers tomorrow we will support parties in government formation. We will go with parties which is forming government in Maharashtra. "
11:03 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Elections News Live Updates: How Maharashtra election results could impact future of key civic projects
As Maharashtra eagerly awaits the results of the recently concluded Assembly elections, the future of a slew of civic and infrastructure projects in Mumbai, which are estimated at about Rs 10,705, will also be determined by the political alliance that will form the government in state.
Since 2022, the BMC is being run by a state-appointed administrator and in the past two years, civic authorities announced and initiated several projects that were mooted and endorsed by the ruling Mahayuti government including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Maharashtra Elections News Live Updates: Will follow Eknath Shinde, says MLA Shirsat on allying with Sharad Pawar for CM post
Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat has said his party leaders will follow Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in any direction he goes after assembly poll results and his decisions will be acceptable to them.
He asserted the party would solidly back Shinde as it trusts his leadership. Asked what if Shinde goes with rival NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar to become the chief minister for a second time, Shirsat said on Thursday, “We are committed to (follow) whatever Eknath Shinde decides. We will be solidly with him. We trust him and it will always be there.” -- PTI
10:18 (IST) 22 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Assembly Elections Live Updates: One day to go for counting of votes, fissures within MVA over CM face
With one day to go for counting of votes in the state Assembly elections, the MVA, consisting of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) and the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, have expressed confidence that their respective alliance will form the next government. However, fissures have emerged within these alliances, with leaders differing on their picks for the CM face.
On Thursday, a war of words broke out between Congress state president Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut over the chief ministerial face of MVA. Reacting to exit polls, most of which projected a win for the BJP-led bloc, Patole had said, “The MVA government will be formed in the state under the leadership of the Congress.” Raut rejected the statement and said, “I cannot accept it… If Patole has said this then I want to ask whether he has the command of the Congress to say such things. We will sit together and discuss it.”
Residents of Thane cast their votes at a polling centre at thane on 20 November 2024.<br />(Express photo by Deepak Joshi)
Where did Maharashtra see the dip in turnout?
Out of the total 36 seats in the Marathwada region, eight constituencies showed a drop in voting ranging from 0.12 percentage points (Naigoan seat) to 3.69 percentage points (Beed). Marathwada is crucial for the BJP as in the Lok Sabha election this year, the party could not win a single seat from the region. The party’s poor performance in the region was attributed to the unrest over Maratha reservation agitation led by quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil.
Among the eight seats in Marathwada which saw a dip in turnout, three were in Beed district, home turf of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde and his cousin BJP national secretary Pankaja Munde. Two seats in Nanded district, the home turf of former chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan. also witnessed lower voter turnout compared to the 2019 Assembly polls.
In the Western Maharashtra region as well, as many as eight seats recorded a dip in turnout. The region, known as the sugar belt, saw a fierce battle between the NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The two factions were in straight fight in 41 constituencies across the state including 20 in Western Maharashtra.
