Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: BJP-Led Alliance Achieves Historic Victory
The Maharashtra Assembly Election of 2024 has brought a resounding victory for the BJP-led alliance, with the Mahayuti coalition setting new records. This election, notable for its competitive edge, saw the alliance surge ahead, crossing the unprecedented 200-seat mark in the 288-member assembly. As of early counting, the ruling coalition, consisting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is leading in 223 seats, leaving the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) trailing with leads in only 56 constituencies. Independent candidates and smaller parties account for nine seats.
Within the ruling coalition, the BJP has emerged as the most dominant force, maintaining leads in 125 of the 149 seats it contested. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction is ahead in 55 out of 81, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP leads in 38 of 59 seats. On the opposition side, the Congress is ahead in 20 of 101 seats, Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction in 19 of 86, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction in 13 of 95.
The election featured key figures like Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Ajit Pawar, and Aaditya Thackeray, son of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Shinde is leading by a significant margin of over 55,000 votes in the Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat. Ajit Pawar is also ahead in Baramati, defeating his nephew Yugendra Pawar by 50,000 votes in a much-discussed intra-family contest. Aaditya Thackeray is leading the race for the Worli constituency against Shinde Sena’s Milind Deora by a narrow margin.
Zeeshan Siddiqui, a candidate from Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction and son of former minister Baba Siddiqui, is contesting against Uddhav Thackeray’s nephew Varun Sardesai in Bandra (East). Currently, Siddiqui is trailing by 6,000 votes.
The single-phase election held earlier this week witnessed a voter turnout of 65.1%, the highest in a decade. Both alliances claimed this increased turnout as a sign of public endorsement, with BJP leaders interpreting it as support for the incumbent government.
Exit polls predicted a significant advantage for the Mahayuti coalition, with most forecasts estimating an average of 155 seats for the BJP-led alliance against 120 for the MVA. However, some analysts remained cautious, recalling instances where exit polls had failed to accurately predict outcomes in past elections. Despite this, the early trends have largely validated the projections favoring the Mahayuti.
The election results also intensified speculation about the Chief Minister’s post within the Mahayuti alliance. While Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction has expressed support for his continuation, the BJP has pitched Devendra Fadnavis for the role. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction has hinted at its aspirations, claiming a potential kingmaker position within the coalition. On the opposition side, Congress and Shiv Sena leaders have deferred discussions about leadership roles until the final results are announced.
The election reflects a historic moment in Maharashtra’s political landscape. In 2019, the BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena had formed a pre-poll alliance, but disagreements over power-sharing led to the Shiv Sena, under Uddhav Thackeray, forming the Maha Vikas Aghadi with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP. This alliance governed for nearly three years before internal dissent resulted in Eknath Shinde leading a faction of Shiv Sena legislators to join hands with the BJP. Later, Ajit Pawar split from his uncle’s NCP faction to align with the BJP-Shinde coalition, further consolidating the ruling bloc.
The political dynamics in Maharashtra have been marked by intense rivalries and dramatic shifts, including legal battles over factional claims within the Shiv Sena and NCP. The 2024 elections underline a clear mandate for the BJP-led coalition, reshaping the power equations in one of India’s most politically significant states. The results not only signal a consolidation of support for the Mahayuti but also present challenges for the opposition to regroup and reassess its strategy for future contests.