BJP drives ruling Mahayuti to historic mandate in Maharashtra, JMM-led alliance returns to power in Jharkhand

The JMM-led alliance also created history in Jharkhand scoring a convincing victory and is the only incumbent alliance in the state to return to power after five years in office. JMM won 34 seats and its allies won 22 more seats - Congress 16, RJD 4 and CPI(ML) two. BJP won 21 seats. Polling was held for 81 seats in Jharkhand.

The news was also for good for ruling parties in most states in the bypolls to 48 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats across 15 seats with Trinamool Congress sweeping all seats in West Bengal, Congress in Karnataka, ruling NDA in Bihar and BJP putting up strong performance in Uttar Pradesh.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra won the Lok Sabha bypoll from Wayanad in Kerala by over 4 lakh votes in her election debut.

In Maharashtra, the BJP saw a fabulous strike rate with the party winning 132 of 148 seats it contested. Party's allies Shiv Sena and NCP also had a very good strike rate. While Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde won 57 seats, NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar won 41.

The unprecedented Mahayuti victory came months after it suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha polls winning only 17 of 48 seats.

The constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a rude jolt and Congress raised questions over the results. The party could win only 16 of over 100 seats it contested. Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray won 20 seats and NCP(SP) led by Sharad Pawar only 10 seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers at the party headquarters following Mahayuti's thumping victory and said records had been created.

He said in the last 50 years, no party or any pre-poll alliance has won such a massive victory.

"This is the third consecutive time that the BJP has emerged as the largest party in Maharashtra, which is undoubtedly a historic feat. This victory is a stamp on the BJP's governance model. The people of Maharashtra have given the BJP many more seats than the Congress and its allies combined. This shows that when it comes to good governance, the country trusts only the BJP and the NDA," he said.

PM Modi also said this is the third consecutive time that BJP alliance has got the blessings of people of the state.

He also targeted Congress in his speech, describing it as a "parasitic party" that sinks its allies.

This was the first assembly polls in Maharashtra after split in Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party and the MVA was hit by the Mahayuti tsunami. No opposition party has the numbers to claim position of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly.

Uddhav Thackeray, who lost his chief ministerial position due to split in his party in 2022, was keen to prove a point in the assembly polls and had repeatedly referred to group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as "traitors".

Shinde, who became Maharashtra Chief Minister with BJP support after split in Shiv Sena, gained popularity in the last two-and-a-half years due to welfare measures initiated by Mahayuti government including the Ladki Bahin scheme.

Supporters of Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde feel that result of assembly polls will reinforce their claim over who is true inheritor of Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy and is the "true Shiv Sena".

NCP also suffered a split with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance as Deputy Chief Minister in July last year. His uncle Sharad Pawar, chief of NCP(SP), kept a tight campaign and was keen to see that there is no dent to his long legacy in politics. But his efforts did not bear fruit.

A lot was at stake for Congress in the Maharashtra assembly polls after the party was seen to have bungled its prospect in the Haryana assembly polls earlier this year. The party came failed again with observers noting that party leader Rahul Gandhi did not campaign intensely in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier said the verdict in Maharashtra is victory of "development" and thanked people for their support.

"Development wins! Good governance wins! United we will soar even higher! Heartfelt gratitude to my sisters and brothers of Maharashtra, especially the youth and women of the state, for a historic mandate to the NDA. This affection and warmth is unparalleled. I assure the people that our Alliance will keep working for Maharashtra's progress," he said in a post on X.

"NDA's pro-people efforts resonate all over! I thank people across various states for blessing NDA candidates in the various by-polls held. We will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling their dreams and aspirations. I am proud of every NDA Karyakarta for their efforts on the ground. They worked hard, went among people and elaborated on our good governance agenda," he added.

PM Modi congratulated Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren over the performance of the ruling alliance in the polls."I thank the people of Jharkhand for their support towards us. We will always be at the forefront of raising people's issues and working for the state. I also congratulate the JMM-led alliance for their performance in the state," he said.

Congress expressed satisfaction over assembly polls in Jharkhand saying the party has done well in the state and that it will analyse the Maharashtra outcome which are "completely opposite" to the expectations and "very strange".

Addressing a press conference in the national captial, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh raised questions over outcome in Maharashtra where BJP and its allies Shiv Sena and NCP are heading for a landslide victory.

Jairam Ramesh said somewhere "there is a conspiracy" to defeat the Congress.

Pawan Khera said BJP suffered a setback in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha polls about five months back and raised questions over BJP's strike rate in Maharashtra assembly polls.

He said the party was concerned about its electoral transparency and will continue to raise concerns about electoral process.

"The Lok Sabha election was fought in the name of Modi ji in Maharashtra, BJP lost it. The same state gives the same BJP 132 out of 148 seats within 4-5 months. What kind of strike rate is this? ...Is this strike rate possible? Democracy is our concern. Electoral transparency is our concern. Can the BJP reverse anti-incumbency? We complained continuously. Jairam Ramesh had complained about the name being deleted from the Election Commission's website from the house of a woman BJP leader. All the leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi had complained. No answer was given," Khera said.

"Whether we win or lose, we will continue to question the election process. In a country where exam papers are leaked, can we blindly trust the machines? You cannot shut us up by showing the results of Jharkhand. To date, apart from the poetry, we have not received any concrete answer from the Election Commission," he added.

Jairam Ramesh said the setback in Maharashtra does not mean that the party will step back from its agenda including demand for caste census.

"We will definitely analyse the result that has come. But today we can say that even those who won did not anticipate that this result would come. We were assuming that we will get the mandate. The farmers of Maharashtra are angry, the working class of Maharashtra is against the government. And the atmosphere that was there in Maharashtra 4-5 months ago, the same atmosphere is there today too, we were assuming this and everyone accepted this," he said.

"But the results that have come are completely opposite to this. But this does not mean that we will step back from our agenda... somewhere there is a conspiracy to defeat us... The result of Maharashtra is very strange, I cannot use any other word for it, it is absolutely strange," he added.

Khera said in Jharkhand, RSS and BJP tried to make a laboratory in tribal areas.

"Himanta Biswa Sarma became their poster boy. The poster boy left no stone unturned there...The people of Jharkhand completely rejected this kind of politics and again made a working government win with a good majority. Congress performed well there," he said.

Reacting over the results, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that his contribution in the victory is small and it is "victory of unity."

"I had said earlier that I am a modern Abhimanyu and know how to break the 'Chakravyuh'... I think, my contribution in this victory is small, it is the victory of our team. The people of Maharashtra have given us an unprecedented victory. This shows that people are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In line with the slogan he gave 'Ek hain toh safe hain', people from all sections and communities voted for us unitedly... This is the victory of Mahayuti, CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Ramdas Athawale, this is the victory of unity," Fadnavis said.

Asked who will be the next CM of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that there is no dispute on the CM's face.

"There will be no dispute on the CM's face. It was decided from day one that after the elections, the leaders of the three parties will sit together and decide on this. The decision will be acceptable to everyone, there is no dispute on this," Fadnavis said.

"I will say only this that we are bowed before Maharashtra and its people. It has increased our responsibility and Maharashtra has shown its full support for Modiji and we will do everything to reciprocate their faith in us," he added.

Chief Minister Shinde said it is "record-breaking victory" of Mahayuti.

"We are thankful to the whole of Maharashtra. Our government was the common man's government. I'm thankful to PM Modi for his incredible support. Women, children & farmers were the centre point for us. We want to convert the common man into Superman. For me, the full form of CM is not Chief Minister, it's Common Man," he said.

Ajit Pawar said Ladki Bahin Yojana became a game changer.

"It defeated each of our adversaries. I have not seen such a victory in my memory. We will not be swayed away by the victory but this has increased our responsibility for sure. We have to behave responsibly now. Especially financial discipline is needed to fulfil all our promises. We are committed to that. Those who are blaming EVM must remember that we lost Lok Sabha on EVMs only and now we have lost Jharkhand on EVM only. We lost a few seats with very thin margins. This alliance will work together till the end of the next five years for the overall development of Maharashtra," he said.

Fadnavis's wife Amruta Fadnavis said that the hard work of the party, Devendra Fadnavis and all the workers of the party has paid off."I am very happy with the outcome that has come out. It is phenomenal...The hard work of the party, Devendra Fadnavis and all the workers of the party has paid off...What has happened is best for the state," Amruta said.

Hemant Soren's wife, Kalpana Soren thanked the people of Jharkhand for their support."I want to thank the people of Gandhey, Giridih and the people of the state for showering love on me and blessing me like their daughter," Kalpana Soren said.

Uddhav Thakeray said BJP's 'batenge toh katenge' slogan did not work.

"It did not work. Some things are secular like unemployment, inflation. Everyone is affected by it. So it did not workkeray says, "It did not work. Some things are secular like unemployment, inflation. Everyone is affected by it. So it did not work," he said.

With early trends also showing Mahayuti to be in firm lead, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut raised questions in morning.

"This cannot be the decision of the people of Maharashtra. We know what the people of Maharashtra want," he said.

Maharashtra had seen single phase polling and Jharkhand went to the polls in two phases. (ANI)