Maharashtra Election Results 2024: NDA Poised for Historic Victory with BJP’s Record Performance

New Delhi: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set for a sweeping victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, likely achieving a historic milestone by surpassing the 200-seat mark—a feat never before accomplished in the state’s history.

As of midday, the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, was leading in 223 of the 288 assembly seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP group, was ahead in just 55 constituencies. Independent candidates and smaller parties accounted for 10 leads.

BJP Dominates Within Mahayuti

The BJP is spearheading the alliance’s strong performance, leading in 126 of the 149 seats it contested. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction follows with leads in 56 out of 81 seats, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction is ahead in 38 of its 59 seats.

High-Profile Battles

The election has seen fierce contests involving several prominent leaders:

• Eknath Shinde: The outgoing Chief Minister is contesting the Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat in Thane against Kedar Dighe, a leader from Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena faction and nephew of Shinde’s mentor, Anand Dighe. As of 10:30 AM, Shinde held a commanding lead of over 28,000 votes.

• Ajit Pawar: Pawar is engaged in a family showdown against his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar from Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction in Baramati. Ajit Pawar is leading by more than 28,000 votes in this Pawar stronghold.

• Aaditya Thackeray: Uddhav Thackeray’s son is contesting from the Worli seat against Milind Deora, a former Congress leader who recently joined the Shinde faction. Thackeray is currently trailing in this key constituency.

• Zeeshan Siddiqui: The son of slain former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddiqui is contesting from Bandra (East) against Varun Sardesai, Uddhav Thackeray’s nephew. Siddiqui, representing Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, is trailing in the race.

Historic Outcome Expected

The Maharashtra Assembly comprises 288 seats, with 145 needed for a majority. The Mahayuti’s resounding performance indicates that the NDA is on course to reshape the state’s political landscape with an unprecedented mandate.