Elections 2024 Result Highlights: Mahayuti gets stunning mandate in Maharashtra, Hemant Soren’s JMM-led alliance defeats BJP in Jharkhand 

Sanjay Raut expressed skepticism about the election results, stating that the trends indicating a Mahayuti victory do not reflect the people’s mandate and suggesting that there may be irregularities in the process.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress leader and candidate from Wayanad constituency, has arrived at her residence in Delhi’s Khan market area. She is currently leading in Wayanad, as per latest trends.

Jharkhand:

JMM: 32

BJP: 25

INC: 12

RJD: 6

Maharashtra:

BJP: 122

SHS: 58

NCP: 37

INC: 20

Babulal Marandi, BJP‘s Jharkhand state president and former Chief Minister, is leading by 1,840 votes from the Dhanwar Assembly seat after the first round of counting, according to election officials, reported PTI.

As of 10 am, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has crossed the halfway mark, leading in 172 seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance trails with 47 seats, according to the Election Commission’s trends. Initial results show that the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde is ahead in 53 seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is leading in 33, and the BJP holds the largest share with leads in 100 seats. The Rashtriya Yuva Swabhiman Party (RYSWP), part of the Mahayuti alliance, is currently ahead in one seat.

On the other hand, in the MVA alliance, the NCP led by Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) is leading in 12 seats, Congress in 17, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is ahead in 18. The Samajwadi Party, a part of the MVA, has secured 2 seats. Smaller parties, including Jan Surajya Shakti (JSS) and the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWPI), are showing leads in 3 and 2 seats, respectively, while the Swatantra Bharat Paksha (SBP) is leading in 1 seat. These smaller parties are expected to align with the MVA in the final outcome.

Former Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur expressed confidence that the trends in the ongoing vote count would shift in their favor. He highlighted the growing margins in the results, attributing this to the benefits delivered by their government, such as farmer loan waivers and free electricity for up to 200 units. Thakur also criticized the BJP for its repeated attempts to disrupt the state government, including efforts to target the Chief Minister. He stressed that the Congress and its allies have successfully countered these attempts and warned that any future efforts to destabilize the government would not be tolerated.

Ruling LDF candidate U R Pradeep maintained a strong lead of over 5,000 votes after two hours of vote counting in the Chelakkara Assembly bypoll in Kerala on Saturday, according to the Election Commission. By the third round of counting, Pradeep was ahead by 5,834 votes, with 17,509 votes in his favor. His closest competitor, Congress candidate Ramya Haridas, had garnered 11,675 votes, while BJP‘s K Balakrishnan received 6,758 votes.

Jharkhand:

JMM: 28

BJP: 24

INC: 12

RJD: 6

Maharashtra:

BJP: Leading with 115

SHS: 56

NCP: 34

INC: 22

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is leading with 2,812 votes in the Barhait Assembly seat following the first round of vote counting.

As the vote counting for bypolls across 15 states began on Saturday, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Abhishek Bharti, confirmed that comprehensive security measures were in place in Prayagraj district to ensure a smooth and secure process. Bharti stated that paramilitary forces, PAC, district police, and ACPs from the Prayagraj Commissionerate were actively monitoring the situation. He also emphasized that the Model Code of Conduct is in effect, with a ban on victory processions. Political parties and the public have been advised to adhere to the established rules and regulations. The bypolls, which took place in 48 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats, featured key contests in Uttar Pradesh, Wayanad, and Kerala.

As of 10 am, ECI trends show BJP leading with 100 seats in Maharashtra. SHS is leading in 53, NCP in 33, and INC in 17. In Jharkhand, a close contest persists between JMM and BJP. JMM is showing to lead in 22 seats while BJP is showing to lead in 22 seats.

As per ECI trends:

– In Seraikela, former CM and BJP nominee Champai Soren is trailing by 2,986 votes against JMM’s Ganesh Mahli.

– Congress‘ Kumar Jaimangal Singh in Bermo is leading by 3,610 votes over BJP’s Ravindra Pandey.

– Congress’ Naman Bixal Kongari in Kolebira is ahead of other candidates.

– BJP’s Shradhanand Besra is leading in Simdega.

– BJP’s Satyendra Nath Tiwari in Garhwa is ahead by 190 votes over JMM’s Mithilesh Kumar Tharkur.

– RJD’s Subhash Yadav in Koderma is leading by 1,481 votes over BJP’s Neera Yadav.

– RJD’s Rashmi Prakash in Chatra is ahead by 988 votes.

The results will determine the fate of 1,211 candidates, including the Chief Minister.

As the vote counting progressed in Jharkhand on Saturday, a tight race emerged between the BJP-led NDA and the JMM-led INDIA bloc. The NDA was leading in 40 of the 81 assembly seats, while the INDIA alliance held a lead in 37 seats. The counting began at 8 AM, with the Election Commission’s early trends by 9:45 AM showing the INDIA bloc ahead in 19 seats, the NDA in 13, and one seat each going to an independent and JKLM.

With the Mahayuti alliance surpassing the halfway mark, the BJP is on track to maintain its position as the largest party in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the NCP (SP), led by Sharad Pawar, and the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena are engaged in a tight contest for the second position.

According to the early trends released by the Election Commission, the Mahagathbandhan is leading in six seats, with the JMM securing one, Congress leading in two, RJD in two, and CPI(ML)(L) in one.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader, Devendra Fadnavis, emerged ahead by 2,246 votes in the Nagpur South-West constituency after the first round of vote counting, according to election officials.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress-led UDF candidate, took an early lead in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll in Kerala, with a margin of over 35,000 votes after the first hour of counting on Saturday, as per TV channel reports. The Election Commission’s figures later showed her lead at 4,374 votes. The vote counting began at 8 am, starting with postal ballots. The strong rooms holding the EVMs were opened more than an hour before the counting process commenced. The bypoll for the Wayanad seat was held on November 13.

As the counting of votes for the Maharashtra assembly elections began on Saturday morning, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in 146 of the 288 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance trailed with 132 seats. The vote counting, which started at 8 am across all counting centers in the state, focuses on the rivalry between the ruling Mahayuti coalition and the MVA, which is aiming for a comeback. Initially, officials verified and counted postal ballots before moving on to the electronic voting machine (EVM) votes. Each assembly constituency will undergo a minimum of 20 rounds of counting.

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo expressed confidence that the NDA will secure the highest number of seats in Jharkhand and make “history” as the vote counting progresses. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Deo emphasized that the current moment marked a new beginning for Jharkhand, with significant excitement among the people. He suggested that the state’s five years of corruption, violence against women, and misgovernance were nearing an end. Deo predicted that the political landscape of Jharkhand would shift, signaling the end of the Soren dynasty’s influence. He asserted that the NDA would form the government with a historic win. Votes for the Maharashtra assembly elections and bypolls across 15 states are also being counted today.

In Maharashtra, BJP is leading in 50 seats while Eknath Shinde-faction SHS and NCP is behind with 27 and 22 seats, respectively. In Jharkhand, BJP is leading with 3 seats while INC and RJD are a close step behind with 2 seats each.

As per News 18’s latest trends of Maharashtra, Mahayuti has still maintained its lead of 148 seats and MVA is leading in 35. According to India Today, Mahayuti again has a lead of 157 seats and MVA on the other hand has a lead in 98 seats.

According to the early trends from the Election Commission, both Congress and CPI(ML)(L) are leading in one seat each.

The by-elections in Punjab took place across four assembly constituencies—Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC), and Barnala—achieving an overall voter turnout of 63.91% and the vote counting began on Saturday morning.

The ECI reported that Gidderbaha had the highest voter participation, with 81.90%, while Chabbewal (SC) recorded the lowest turnout at 53.43%. Dera Baba Nanak saw a turnout of 64.01%, with the vote counting for this constituency set to be completed in 18 rounds. Chabbewal (SC) will undergo counting in 15 rounds.

As the vote counting commenced, news channels showed Aditya Thackeray, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) and son of Uddhav Thackeray, taking an early lead in the Worli constituency.

According to the News 18 early trends, Mahayuti is leading in 94 seats while MVA is stuck at 36 seats. Going by India Today trends, Mahayuti is again way ahead with 102 seats and MVA is trailing behind with 78 seats.

According to the first trends released by the ECI for Maharashtra, Eknath SHinde-faction is showing tied with NCP by leading in three seats each. BJP on the other hand is leading in just 1 seat.

A total of 90 candidates are contesting the by-election across nine assembly constituencies, including 11 women candidates. The vote counting will take place over a minimum of 20 rounds in Sisamau, while constituencies like Kundarki, Karhal, Phulpur, and Majhawan will require up to 32 rounds to complete the process. To ensure the safety and smooth conduct of the counting, a three-tier security system has been implemented at the counting venue.

As the counting of postal ballots for the West Bengal bypolls began on Saturday at 8 am, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was reported to be leading in three of the six contested assembly seats. The constituencies involved are Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST). According to Bengali news channels, TMC was leading in Naihati (North 24 Parganas) and Taldangra (Bankura), with News 18 Bangla also reporting leads in Naihati and Haroa. However, the Election Commission has yet to release any official trends on its website.

Five of the contested seats are located in South Bengal, a stronghold for the TMC, while Madarihat, which was won by the BJP in 2021, remains a key area for the saffron party in the north. The bypolls were triggered by the resignation of MLAs who had won seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leaving their assembly constituencies vacant.

Vote counting for the bypolls on seven assembly seats in Rajasthan began today under tight security. The bypolls were held on November 13 across the constituencies of Jhunjhunu, Ramgarh, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara, Khinvsar, Salumbar, and Chaurasi. Results will be announced following the completion of vote counting today.

The EVM vote counting for each constituency is expected to take several rounds: Jhunjhunu and Salumbar will each require 22 rounds, Ramgarh will have 21 rounds, and Deoli-Uniara and Khinvsar will each need 20 rounds. Dausa and Chaurasi will complete their counting in 18 rounds each.