Sat Nov 23 22:57:06 UTC 2024: **BJP Sweeps Maharashtra, INDIA Bloc Wins Jharkhand in State Assembly Elections**
MUMBAI/RANCHI, INDIA – November 23, 2024 – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, winning a “historic” 235 out of 288 seats, according to final results released today. The BJP alone secured 132 seats. This decisive win comfortably surpasses the majority mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attributed the victory to the Mahayuti’s focus on development and unity, contrasting it with the INDIA bloc’s alleged divisive politics. Exit polls had largely predicted a Mahayuti win, though with varying margins.
In contrast, the JMM-led INDIA bloc secured victory in Jharkhand, winning 56 seats in the 81-member assembly. Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s JMM won 34 seats, with Congress taking 16, RJD 4, and CPI(ML)(L) 2. This outcome defied some exit polls that predicted a closer contest or even a hung assembly. The BJP and its NDA allies conceded defeat.
Maharashtra’s election, held in a single phase on November 20th, saw a bipolar contest between the Mahayuti (BJP, Shinde Sena, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and smaller allies) and the MVA (Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP). The BJP’s performance contrasts sharply with its showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where it won only 9 out of 28 contested seats in Maharashtra.
Jharkhand’s elections, held in two phases (November 13th and 20th), witnessed a contest between the INDIA bloc (JMM, Congress, CPI(ML)(L), RJD) and the NDA (BJP, AJSUP, JD(U), LJP(RV)). In 2019, the JMM emerged as the largest party, forming a government with Congress and RJD.
Reactions to the results were varied. While BJP leaders celebrated a resounding victory, attributing it to the public’s endorsement of PM Modi’s policies and the Mahayuti’s governance, Congress leaders expressed surprise and disappointment, promising to analyze the results and continue fighting for the people’s issues.
First Piper 