It's BJP All Over — Easy Maharashtra Win In Sight, Edge Over JMM In Jharkhand

The BJP contested 149 assembly seats, Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP fielded candidates in 59 constituencies in Maharashtra.

Ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in 146 of the 288 seats in Maharashtra.

Source : PTI

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in 146 of the 288 seats in Maharashtra and the Maha Vikas Aghadi in 132 as the counting of votes commenced at 8 am on Saturday morning in the November 20 elections, as per the Election Commission of India, while BJP was leading in 39 of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand.

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance is seeking to make a comeback. At the counting centres, officials first began verifying and counting the postal ballots, after which the counting of EVM votes began. There will be a minimum of 20 rounds of counting in each assembly segment. The final turnout in the polls, held on November 20, was 66.05 per cent, up from 61.1 per cent in 2019.

The BJP contested 149 assembly seats, Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP fielded candidates in 59 constituencies. In the MVA combine, the Congress fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) put up 86 candidates.

BJP-Led NDA Ahead In Jharkhand, Shows Early Trends

In Jharkhand, the JMM was ahead in over 30 as the counting of votes was underway on Saturday, according to the poll pannel.

The results will decide the electoral fate of a total of 1,211 candidates, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren who contested from Barhait, his wife Kalpana from Gandey, former CM and BJP state president Babulal Marandi from Dhanwar and ex-CM Champai Soren from Seraikela.

Other prominent candidates include Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato of the JMM from Nala, Deepika Pandey Singh of Congress from Mahagama, Sita Soren (sister-in-law of CM Hemant Soren) from Jamtara, AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto from Silli.

Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said the counting is underway amid tight security arrangements and is likely to be completed by 4 PM.

The lowest 13-round counting will pertain to the Torpa assembly segment while the counting for the Chatra seat will be held for the highest 24 rounds, he said.

This time, voter turnout reached a record 67.74 per cent, the highest since the formation of Jharkhand on November 15, 2000. The assembly elections were held in two phases - November 13 and 20.

BJP Leading In Uttar Pradesh Bypolls

The BJP was leading in four seats while the Samajwadi Party was ahead in two of the nine assembly seats, according to Election Commission trends on Saturday. While BJP candidates are leading in Kundarki, Khair, Sisamau and Majhawan seats, the SP candidates have an edge in Karhal and Phulpur.

In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the BJP won the Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan and Khair seats, while the SP secured victories in Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal and Kundarki. BJP was leading in Rajasthan and Uttarakhand bypolls too. BJP candidates Rajendra Bhambhoo, Rajendra Gurjar and Revant Ram Danga were leading in Jhunjhunu, Deoli Uniara and Khinwsar seats, respectively. The Congress' Aryaan Zubair was leading in Ramgarh and Deen Dayal in Dausa seats. In Salumbar and Chorasi, Bharat Adivasi Party candidates Jitesh Kumar Katara and Anil Kumar Katara were respectively in the lead.