Maharashtra Election 2024 News: BJP-led Mahayuti to retain power in Maharashtra, most exit polls predict

The exit poll, released on November 21, has predicted that Mahayuti will corner 48% of the vote share in Maharashtra while the opposition MVA will bag 37% of the votes.

BJP+: 178-200

MVA: 82-102

Others: 6-12

Total: 288

On Wednesday, multiple exit polls predicted a victory for the ruling Mahayuti of BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP. A poll of nine exit polls had predicted 150 seats for Mahayuti in the 288-member assembly.

Seat Projection

BJP+ 175 ± 11 Seats

Cong+ 100 ± 11 Seats

Others 13 ± 5 Seats

Mahayuti -150

MVA-70

Others-6

Speaking on exit poll results, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole showed confidence in MVA forming government in Maharashtra. I don't want to discuss what exit polls have projected, but on the basis of our report, Maha Vikas Aghadi will form govt in Maharashtra with a wide margin, says Patole on exit poll predictions

Maharashtra voted in a single phase on November 20 and the exit polls have given an edge to the ruling Mahayuti over the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

The vote counting will take place on November 23 (Saturday) and the results will be declared in a timely manner.

Refusing categorically to comment on the exit poll predictions, Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel said that everything will be cleared soon when the results will be announced on November 23.

“I don't want to comment on exit polls, and just two days are left, everything will be clear on 23rd (Nov). INDIA alliance will form govt, whether in Maharashtra or Jharkhand,” he said.

UP Congress chief Ajay Rai has said that the exit polls will be proven wrong when the results will be announced on November 23.

“I went to Maharashtra. Maha Vikas Aghadi is going to form its government in Maharashtra and the INDIA alliance will form its government in Jharkhand,” he said.

Maharashtra AICC in-charge Ramesh Chennithala dismissed on Wednesday the exit polls on the likely outcome of the state assembly elections. He asserting that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is poised to clinch a comfortable majority.

"Exit polls do not reflect the sentiments of people," Chennithala said after several pollsters gave a clear edge to the BJP-led alliances in Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly polls, while some put the MVA coalition ahead in the western state.

CPI General Secretary D Raja said that different verdicts have been given by exit polls and they are not always proved to be correct either.

“We will have to wait for the actual counting and the verdict given by people of Maharashtra and Jharkhand,” he said.

"Exit polls are never 'exact polls', we have seen this in Lok Sabha and (Haryana) Assembly elections. However, I would say that people are in the mood of Mahayuti's leadership," said Shaina NC, Shiv Sena's candidate for Mumbadevi constituency.

On exit polls in Maharashtra Assembly polls, Shiv Sena UBT leader Anand Dubey said, "Exit polls have become a medium of entertainment...In Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, it said the Congress will form the government, but BJP formed the government. So exit polls are just for entertainment. We will get to know the actual thing on November 23."

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, replying to a query on yje the Chief Minister’s post, said that all three Mahayuti constituents - BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP - will discuss the matter together and take an appropriate decision.

Here's what Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister said on the increased voting percentage in Maharashtra assembly polls:

-The increase in the voter turnout would benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ruling allies

-The percentage of voting increased due to pro-incumbency and the feeling of affinity that voters have for the government

-Also, it cannot be ignored that the rise in the turnout of women voters was possibly due to the Ladki Bahin scheme

Police have registered a case against the candidate of a regional party on charges of attempt to murder after the alleged attack on a businessman in Navi Mumbai during polling for the Maharashtra assembly elections, an official told PTI on Thursday.

The accused, Ankush Kadam, contested the state polls held on Wednesday from Airoli seat as candidate of the Maharashtra Swarajya Party, as per the FIR.

The candidate and 35 of his supporters went to the office of the victim in Koparkhairne area of Navi Mumbai and allegedly beat him up and another person present there on Wednesday afternoon, the official said.

In 2022, Eknath Shinde shocked the nation by becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra with just 40 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly. This political upheaval was not only one of the most significant rebellions in the history of the Shiv Sena but also led to the splitting of the party and the ousting of the Thackeray family. Shinde's journey from a humble autorickshaw driver in Thane to the pinnacle of Maharashtra politics is a story of resilience, ambition, determination and street-smartness.

Read more here…

In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly election, the seat distribution was as follows:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 105 seats

Shiv Sena (undivided): 56 seats

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP, undivided): 54 seats

Congress: 44 seats

India Today-Axis had predicted 166-194 seats for the NDA (Shiv Sena and BJP) and 72-90 seats for the UPA (Congress-NCP).

News18-IPSOS predicted 243 seats for the NDA and 41 for the UPA. Republic-Jan Ki Baat predicted 216-230 seats for the NDA and 52-59 seats for the NDA. Times Now predicted 230 seats for the NDA and 48 for the UPA.

ABP News-C Voter predicted 204 seats for the NDA and 69 for the UPA.

Here’s what Shiv Sena UBT leader Anand Dubey said about exit polls

-Exit polls have become a medium of entertainment

-In Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, it said the Congress will form the government, but BJP formed the government.

-Exit polls are just for entertainment. We will get to know the actual thing on November 23.

-Police have registered a case against around 40 persons after they allegedly vandalised three polling booths at Ghatnandur in Maharashtra's Beed district and damaged some EVMs when voting for the assembly polls was underway a day ago, officials told PTI.

-Some police personnel were injured in the attack by the accused, who carried wooden sticks and sharp-edged weapons with them, they said.

-The case was registered at Ambajogai Rural police station, around 220 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, for the incidents that occurred at Ghatnandur in Parli assembly constituency, an official said.

-Polling in Maharashtra took place in a single phase on November 20 and the results will be announced three days later.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted that the voting percentage has increased in Maharashtra.

The voting percentage may have increased due to pro-incumbency, he said, expressing confidence that Mahayuti will retain Maharashtra.

“We have received information that the percentage of women voting for us has increased due to the Ladki Bahin scheme. There is no discussion about the CM post at the moment. After the results are out, we, will sit together and decide,” he said.

Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 65.02 per cent during the elections to 288 assembly seats on November 20, setting a new high since the 1995 assembly poll that witnessed an impressive turnout of 71.7 per cent.

Shaina NC, Shiv Sena's candidate for Mumbadevi constituency, said that exit poll predictions are not 'exact' polls, citing the references of Lok Sabha polls and Haryana elections held this year.

However, she said that people are in the mood of Mahayuti's leadership.

Exit polls have indicated that the BJP and its allies may have the edge in Maharashtra.

Ladki Bahin Yojana: The scheme, dubbed as a "game changer" by the ruling alliance, provides Rs 1,500 a month to women who are between the ages of 21 to 65 years and whose annual family income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said at least 2.26 crore women have benefited from the scheme. The Mahayuti has also promised to increase the monthly benefit to Rs 2,100 if it returns to power.

RSS Support: A big factor that could help BJP in these polls is active support by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), whose cadres stepped up the campaign efforts. The party reaped the benefits of RSS ground support in the recent Haryana elections too. In Maharashtra, meetings were held across wards and villages by RSS volunteers, especially in constituencies where the BJP was weak.

A battle of perception: Who is the real NCP? Who is the real Shiv Sena? The political discourse of Maharashtra has been dominated by these two pertinent questions ever since the two regional behemoths suffered a vertical split.

Read more here…

The BJP-led Mahayuti government has worked to serve justice to every section of the society, said BJP candidate from Saoner seat Ashish Deshmukh.

Today, be it farmers, labourers, tribals, those belonging to backward classes, women, youth or others, everyone is supporting Mahayuti, he said.

“That's why exit polls are showing that Mahayuti will secure a hat-trick in Maharashtra,” Deshmukh added.

A day after the conclusion of assembly polls in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will win 160 to 165 seats out of the total 288 and provide a stable government in the state.

The Rajya Sabha member also said the MVA leaders will be meeting on Thursday, ahead of the counting of votes which will take place on Saturday.

"We and our allies, including smaller parties like the PWP, Samajwadi Party, the Left parties are crossing the majority mark. We are winning 160-165 seats. There will be a stable government in the state. I can say it very confidently," Raut told reporters.

P-Marq: 137-157 (Mahayuti), 126-146 (MVA), 2-8 (Others)

People’s Pulse: 175-195 (Mahayuti), 85-112 (MVA), 7-12 (Others)

Matrize: 150-170 (Mahayuti), 110-130 (MVA), 8-10 (Others)

Times Now-JVC: 150-167 (Mahayuti), 107-125 (MVA), 13-14 (Others)

Lokshahi-Marathi Rudra: 128-142 (Mahayuti), 125-140 (MVA), 18-23 (Others)

Chanakya: 152-160 (Mahayuti), 130-138 (MVA), 6-8 (Others)

Dainik Bhaskar: 125-140 (Mahayuti), 135-150 (MVA), 20-25 (Others)

Electoral Edge: 118 (Mahayuti), 150 (MVA), 20 (Others)

Poll Diary: 122-186 (Mahayuti), 69-121 (MVA), 10-27 (Others)

Even as most exit polls have predicted a majority for the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, state Congress President Nana Patole has expressed confidence over Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)’s win.

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government will be formed in Maharashtra under the leadership of Congress, he said.

“There is no doubt that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will be formed. The CM will be from Maha Vikas Aghadi,” he said.

After the exit polls were released for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh exuded confidence in the alliance victory and said that the NDA will form the government in both the states.

Speaking to ANI, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh said, "We know this since earlier, we know that in both states NDA is going to form the government. The Congress was not ready to accept the Haryana (result) as well in the Lok Sabha polls, they thought they were going to form the government there, but what happened?"

While many of the exit polls released on Wednesday predicted a clear win for the Mahayuti, some have projected a close contest and the possibility of a hung Assembly in Maharashtra.

According to the Dainik Bhaskar exit poll, the BJP-led Mahayuti is likely to win 125-140 seats while the Maha Vikas Aghadi is projected to win anywhere between 135-150 seats. Others are likely to bag 20-25 seats.

The Lokshahi Marathi Rudra exit poll has also predicted a hung Assembly in Maharashtra. As per its projections, the Mahayuti is expected to win 128-142 seats while the MVA is likely to win 125-140 seats in the 288-member Assembly.

Exit polls released post the conclusion of voting for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly indicate that the BJP and its allies may have the edge in the state after witnessing a victory in the recent Haryana polls.

ABP-Matrize has predicted 150-170 seats for Mahayuti and 110-130 for the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Meanwhile, P-MarQ has given 137-157 seats to the Mahayuti and 126-146 to the MVA. On the other hand, Chanakya has given 152-160 seats to the Mahayuti and 130-138 to MVA.