Election Results 2024 LIVE: Visuals from a counting centre, on the eve of counting of votes for the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024, in Mumbai, Friday,

While the NDA, which is fighting as a team in both the states, is looking poised to retain Maharashtra as per exit polls, the INDIA bloc that put up a divided front in Jharkhand was given an edge over their rival by some pollsters.

Maharashtra elections: The Mahayuti vs Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) battle

• In Maharashtra, the primary contest is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which comprises Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar), and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SCP).
• Most exit polls and political pundits predicted a comfortable majority for the Mahayuti alliance. However, the projection also indicated that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would put up a strong show in the results but is highly unlikely to cross the majority mark.
• According to Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, leaders of Mahayuti will sit together and decide who will be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra if they secure a majority in the election result.
• The Maharashtra assembly election results 2024 will play a significant role in shaping the political landscape of the Western state as it is the first assembly poll in the state following the splits in key parties – Shiv Sena and NCP.
• The Maharashtra assembly elections were also marred by the cash-for-votes allegation against BJP leader Vinod Tawde. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray termed it as ‘note jihad.’

Jharkhand Assembly Election: All eyes on NDA vs INDIA battle

• In Jharkhand, the main battle is between the ruling JMM-led alliance, which is banking on its work and promises, and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which is hopeful of getting people’s support on its promises and work of the central government.
• The BJP-led alliance in Jharkhand includes the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) while the JMM-led alliance consists of Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist).
• Exit polls have been split in their predictions indicating chances of a hung assembly in Jharkhand with many of them suggesting that BJP-led NDA has an edge over JMM and team.
• Jharkhand went to polls in two phases – November 13 and November 20 – for 81 assembly seats.
• Jharkhand witnessed 67.74 % voter turnout in the two phases of the elections. The voter turnout in the second and final phase stood at 68.95%.

Bypolls result: BJP fights for prestige in Uttar Pradesh

The counting of votes for the by-polls to 46 Assembly seats in 13 states and in the Lok Sabha segments of Nanded in Maharashtra and Wayanad in Kerala, a crucial electoral exercise since the parliamentary polls in April-May, will also begin at 8 am on Saturday.

This result marks a pivotal point for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh, which is fighting for its prestige after the disappointing show in the Lok Sabha elections.

The poll result will also decide the fate of Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is making her poll debut from Wayanad, a seat vacated by her brother Rahul Gandhi.