The wait is over and the counting day is here to end all the suspense and predictions around the Maharashtra assembly election results. The 288 assembly seats voted in single phase on November 20. The state has recorded around 65% voting, highest since 1995. 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. Most of the have predicted an edge for the BJP-led Mahayuti while not ruling out a stiff competition from the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi.
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