Maharashtra Assembly Election Results LIVE: BJP led-Mahayuti crosses majority mark in early trends

Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar leading by 3,759 votes in Baramati assembly seat at the end of first round: Poll officials.

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in 157 of the 288 seats in the state and the Maha Vikas Aghadi in 125 as counting of votes commenced Saturday morning in the November 20 elections, TV channels reported. However, the Election Commission of India’s website showed trends in 150 of the 288 seats. As per ECI figures, in the Mahayuti, BJP candidates were leading in 50 seats, Shiv Sena in 27 and NCP in 22 seats. It said in the MVA, Congress candidates were leading in 14 seats, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) in 13 seats and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) in 12 seats.

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in 146 of the 288 seats in the state and the Maha Vikas Aghadi in 132 as counting of votes commenced Saturday morning in the November 20 elections. Counting of votes in the Maharashtra assembly elections began Saturday morning, with all eyes on the outcome of the battle between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which is seeking to make a comeback.

Senior Congress leader & party's observer for Maharahstra, Ashok Gehlot arrives in Mumbai. MVA is trailing.

The district authorities in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar have banned victory processions on Saturday when the results of the state assembly elections will be declared. District collector Dilip Swami held a meeting with top police officials on Friday, a day before the counting of votes. In a video message released after the meeting, Swami said, "I have spoken to the top police officials from the city as well as rural parts of the district. When the results come out, the situation turns a little tense. So in order to avoid law and order issues, we are not going to allow any victory procession on the result day."

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in 31 of the 288 seats in the state and the Maha Vikas Aghadi in 18 as counting of votes commenced Saturday morning in the November 20 elections. The Mahayuti was leading in 26 seats after counting of postal ballots commenced, TV channels reported. There was no word yet from the Election Commission. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was leading in Sakoli after counting of postal ballots commenced, a channel said. BJP’s Vijaykumar Gavit was ahead after the postal ballots counting began, it added.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra has collected letters of support from more than 160 of its candidates and some independents, pledging their backing for the alliance in forming a government in the state if voted to power.

Maharashtra: (As per early trends)

47-30

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP candidate from Baramati Assembly constituency, Ajit Pawar trails behind in postal ballot vote counting. 

The vote counting commenced on 288 seats in Maharashtra on Saturday. 

Shiv Sena candidate from Mumba Devi assembly constituency Shaina NC visits Shree Siddhivinayak Temple, in Mumbai to offer prayers ahead of counting. 

Security has been tightened at counting centres in Maharashtra, including Kalina and Dharavi. In Maharashtra, the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, is engaged in a fierce contest with the MVA, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP).

Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly was held on Wednesday, recording a voter turnout of 66.05%, an increase from nearly 61% in the 2019 elections. Leaders from both Mahayuti and MVA see the higher turnout as an indicator of increased support. Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer, S Chockalingam, lauded the efforts to enhance voter participation.

More than 36,000 essential service voters voted through postal ballots and 4,66,823 postal ballots were distributed to election staff. To ensure transparency in the counting process, information has been presented to the media continuously and important statistics and developments have been disseminated online and through traditional media.

As far as Mumbai is concerned, 36 counting centres are designated for 36 constituencies. Over 2,700 polling personnel and 10,000 police personnel have been deployed for the counting process in Mumbai.

The state election machinery is all set for a smooth and peaceful counting of votes in 288 Assembly constituencies across Maharashtra to be held on Saturday. Buoyed by a record 66 per cent polling against 61.1 per cent in the 2019 Assembly elections, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that the counting of votes will start at 8 a.m. at all polling stations.