The BJP-led Mahayuti is on track for a decisive victory in Maharashtra, securing a commanding lead in 124 seats and reaffirming its dominance in the politically crucial state.
Meanwhile, the Congress-led INDIA bloc is likely to face setbacks in Maharashtra but find some relief in Jharkhand, where its alliance is leading with 48 seats, according to the Election Commission trends at 12:30 pm.
In Maharashtra, the saffron party has emerged as the frontrunner with leads in 124 seats followed by its Mahayuti allies — Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) — which are leading in 56 and 37 seats, respectively.
On the other hand, the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are struggling to make a significant impact, leading in only 19 seats each, while the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) lags further behind with leads in 14 seats.
In a prominent battle, Ajit Pawar is poised to defeat his relative, Yugendra Shrinivas Pawar, with a lead of 43,619 votes after nine rounds of counting. In Nagpur South West, Devendra Fadnavis, widely regarded as the frontrunner for the chief minister’s post, is maintaining a comfortable lead, while Congress candidate Prafulla Gudadhe trails behind.
In Worli, Aaditya Thackeray is narrowly leading Milind Deora of the Shiv Sena by a margin of 1,047 votes in a closely fought contest.
INDIA bloc defies anti-incumbency in Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, the Congress-led INDIA bloc is delivering a strong performance. The JMM, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, is ahead in 28 seats, taking the lead role in the alliance. The Congress is maintaining a steady position with leads in 15 seats, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is expected to add five more seats to the alliance’s tally.
The BJP’s aggressive campaign in Jharkhand appears to be falling short as its candidates are only leading in 27 seats. Smaller NDA allies, including the AJSU Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and JDU, are leading in one seat each, failing to make an impact so far.