Mumbai (Maharashtra): The results of fierce electoral battle in Maharashtra will unfold tomorrow with the leaders of ruling Mahayuti and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) expressing confidence of their victories in a keenly-watched outcome that has long-term implications for various players, particularly the two parties which have seen splits.
Votes will be counted from 8 am and trends are expected to emerge in the next two hours. Mahayuti, which includes BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP is locked in a fierce contest with MVA that includes Congress, Shiv Sena(UBT) and NCP(SP).
Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly was held on Wednesday, with 66.05 per cent polling recorded in the state against nearly 61 per cent in the 2019 Assembly elections.
Mahayuti and MVA leaders are both interpreting the increased voting percentage as a sign of greater support for them.
State's Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam lauded efforts for increased voter participation.
"Election Commission of India gave a lot of focus, attention and time for Maharashtra this time. Each and every strategy was conceptualised and implemented with high precision. This resulted in a huge number of addition in the voter list also between the Parliament election and the current election. Efforts made to make voting easier, especially in a place like Mumbai where we had some problems at the time of Parliament elections but this time everyone praised the arrangements," he said.
"So, so much work has been done. The Election Commission thanks all the voters who came out to vote on the day to ensure that history is created... We have increased by 5 per cent more. We want to thank all of them. Nearly 6 lakh officers and employees were putting their efforts into welcoming the voters and ensuring that they vote very easily," he added.
In Mahayuti, BJP is contesting the largest number of seats at 148 followed by Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at 80 and NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at 52. There are six more seats where Mahayuti candidates are in the fray.
In MVA, Congress is contesting 102 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 96 seats and NCP (SP) 86 seats. Two seats are being contested by Samajwadi Party and two seats by smaller MVA allies.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi exuded confidence in MVA reclaiming power in Maharashtra.
"People of Maharashtra are going to free them (Mahayuti) for the next 25 years. The government of loot, corruption, and Adani is going to end. We will get the majority. They are booking helicopters because they know people will ask them questions, and they need to run away," she told ANI.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav also expressed confidence of MVA's victory.
"Mahayuti will form the government. We are going to win with a majority...The result will be in our favour... The name of the CM will be announced after the result. There is no competition in the alliance...We will get above 200 seats," he said.
Most exit polls predicted Mahayuti's victory with some suggesting that it is a tight race between the two alliances.
BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said INDIA bloc will be "wiped out" in the results for Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly polls.
"Those who have been blaming EVMs for their defeat, when they won the elections in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana, the EVMs were correct. Just like people rejected Congress in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, similarly in Maharashtra the Congress-led alliance will be wiped out, the people will give a befitting reply to the corrupt, parivarvaad parties. PM Modi's government, which works for the poor, women and the youth will get the blessings of the people," Chugh told ANI.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said MVA will get 160-165 seats.
"The results will be out tomorrow. We are sure that we are going to get the majority. 160-165 of our MLAs would be elected... The 'Khokha walas' will pressurise them, so we have made an arrangement for them to stay together in a hotel... Sharad Pawar, Congress and Uddhav Thackeray will have a role to play (in choosing the CM face)... The MVA will get the complete majority and we will make a unanimous decision... No formula has been made yet, everyone will sit together and choose the CM," he said.
This is the first election after splits in the NCP and Shiv Sena.
In the 2019 elections, BJP won 105 seats, undivided Shiv Sena 56, undivided NCP 54, Congress 44, independents 13 and others 16 seats.
The results have implications for all the players, particularly NCP and Shiv Sena.
Uddhav Thackeray lost his chief ministerial position due to split in his party in 2022 and the party has been keen to prove a point in the assembly polls.
His key rival Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also gained popularity due to welfare measures initiated by Mahayuti government and there is a seeming clash over who is true inheritor of Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy.
NCP also suffered a split with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance as Deputy Chief Minister in July last year.
His uncle Sharad Pawar, who now heads NCP(SP), kept a tight campaign and has been keen to see that there is no dent to his long legacy in politics.
A lot is at stake for Congress in the Maharashtra assembly polls after the party is seen to have bungled its prospect in the Haryana assembly polls earlier this year. BJP has formed its third successive government in Haryana earlier this year.
Results will also be declared tomorrow also for Jharkhand assembly polls tomorrow and for bypolls to 48 assembly and two Lok Sabha seats.
