Vote counting for Maharashtra and Jharkhand underway

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra marked her electoral debut with a resounding win in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls, securing an overwhelming margin of over 4.1 lakh votes.

This victory not only reinforces Wayanad's reputation as a Congress bastion but also makes Priyanka the third member of the Gandhi family to hold a parliamentary seat.

Rahul Gandhi, vacated Wayanad after retaining Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, and Sonia Gandhi is currently serving as a Rajya Sabha member.

Priyanka's victory against CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas is expected to bolster Congress’s standing in Kerala and influence its prospects in the southern political landscape significantly.

In a significant turnaround, the INDIA bloc, led by Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), has successfully countered the BJP-led NDA's challenge in the Jharkhand Assembly elections. The alliance has secured 44 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark of 41, while the NDA has managed 33 seats.

With the JMM emerging as the leading force, Hemant Soren is poised to return as Chief Minister. This victory not only solidifies his leadership but also sets the stage for him to potentially complete a full, uninterrupted term in office. It marks a decisive moment for the JMM, underscoring its ability to maintain its political ground despite challenges.

The Mahayuti alliance is set to reclaim power in Maharashtra, with the coalition crossing the majority mark by a significant margin.
The BJP has alone crossed the 100-seats mark
Now the question of who will assume the Chief Minister's role remains.

Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis assured there was no conflict over the chief ministership, stating that Mahayuti leaders would collectively decide on the matter. Addressing the media, Fadnavis said the overwhelming victory reflected strong support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also expressed gratitude to women voters for their contribution.

Fadnavis criticized the Opposition's campaign tactics, saying, “The Opposition’s efforts to propagate a fake narrative and polarize voters based on religion was foiled by the masses.”

The Mahayuti alliance is poised for a decisive victory in Maharashtra, leading in over 219 seats as counting progresses. Within the alliance, the BJP is ahead in 127 constituencies, according to Election Commission data. Overall, the Mahayuti is leading in 221 seats in the 288-member assembly, while the MVA is ahead in 55 seats, as reported by NDTV.

Several candidates achieved notable victories in Maharashtra. Mahesh Baldi of the BJP won in Uran, while Abhimanyu Pawar, a close aide of Devendra Fadnavis, secured his second consecutive win in Ausa. In Mahim, Mahesh Sawant of the UBT Sena emerged victorious, but Amit Thackeray, son of Raj Thackeray, and Sada Sarvankar of Shiv Sena faced defeat. Tensions flared outside the counting center in Loha, Nanded, with violent clashes and stone-pelting reported. Other winners include Haroon Khan (UBT Sena) in Versova, Namita Mundada (BJP) in Khej, and Shirish Naik (Congress) in Navapur.

In Sikkim, the SKM party won both the Soreng Chakung and Namchi-Singhithang seats.