Mumbai: The counting of votes for all 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra is underway. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance including Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has crossed halfway mark. The Mahayuti alliance is facing a challenge from the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of the Congress-NCPSP-Shiv SenaUBT.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena—crossed the halfway mark, leading in over 217 seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is ahead in over 53 seats in the 288-member Assembly, where the majority mark is 145.
The Assembly polls in Maharashtra was held in a single phase on November 20. The contest features 4,140 candidates. The total eligible voter base stands at 9.7 crore, comprising 5 crore men, 4.69 crore women, and 6,101 third-gender voters. Among them, 47,392 centenarians and over 22 lakh first-time voters aged 18-19 are participating. The total voter turnout was at 66.05 per cent.
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The BJP is contesting 148 seats, while Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) fields candidates in 80, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) in 53. Meanwhile, the MVA has allocated 103 seats to Congress, 89 to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), and 87 to NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), with 6 seats reserved for smaller allies.
The BJP emerged as the largest party in the 2019 elections, winning 105 seats. Together with its then-ally Shiv Sena, it secured a majority of 161 seats. However, Shiv Sena broke ties with the BJP and joined hands with Congress and NCP, creating the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister. The MVA coalition’s tenure ended in 2022 after a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who formed the government with BJP’s support.