New Delhi: The counting of votes for the Maharashtra assembly elections began at 8am on Saturday. Voting for the Maharashtra assembly was held on 20 November in a single phase. In Maharashtra, the battle between the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has become a prestige fight for both alliances.
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, is optimistic about securing another term. Exit polls have largely predicted the alliance will retain power in this crucial state. Meanwhile, the MVA—comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP)—is aiming to build on its success in the Lok Sabha elections, where it secured 31 of the 48 seats.
Will independents play spoilsport?
An intriguing factor in Maharashtra is the role of rebels and independents. While both alliances managed to persuade many rebels to withdraw from the contest, over 2,000 independents remain in the fray, constituting nearly 50% of all candidates. Both alliances recognise that these independents and rebels could significantly impact their candidates’ prospects in several constituencies.
Although all 288 seats are witnessing tough, multi-polar contests, 16 key constituencies are under particular focus.
Maharashtra – constituencies in focus
Of the 288 seats in the state, the focus is on Baramati, Worli, Kamthi, Colaba and Yevla constituencies. Baramati like in Lok Sabha elections is witnessing a Pawar vs Pawar battle with Ajit Pawar taking on his nephew Yugendra Pawar of (NCP-SP).
In Worli, the battle is between Milind Deora (Shiv Sena) and Aaditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT). In Kamthi, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule is taking on Congress’ Suresh Bhoyar. From Colaba Rahul Narwekar, speaker in the outgoing assembly, will be taking on Heera Devasi of Congress. In Yevla, NCP’s Chhagan Bhujbal is up against NCP-SP’s Manikrao Shinde.
| Constituency | Winner | Loser |
| Worli | ||
| Kamthi | ||
| Colaba | ||
| Yevla | ||
| Baramati |
Apart from these five, other constituencies in focus include
| Constituency | Mahayuti | MVA | |
| Kopri-Pachpakhadi | Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) | Kedar Dighe (Shiv Sena-UBT) | |
| Nagpur South West | Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) | Prafulla Gudadhe-Patil (Congress) | |
| Baramati | Ajit Pawar (NCP) | Yugendra Pawar (NCP-SP) | |
| Worli | Milind Deora (Shiv Sena) | Aaditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT) | |
| Kamthi | Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP) | Suresh Bhoyar (Congress) | |
| Colaba | Rahul Narwekar (BJP) | Heera Devasi (Congress) | |
| Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar | Nawab Malik (NCP) | Abu Azmi (Samajwadi Party) | |
| Yevla | Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP) | Manikrao Shinde (NCP-SP) | |
| Bhokar | Sreejaya Chavan (BJP) | Tirupati Kondhekar (Congress) | |
| Karad South | Atul Suresh Bhosale (BJP) | Prithviraj Chavan (Congress) | |
| Vandre East | Zeeshan Siddique (NCP) | Varun Sardesai (Shiv Sena-UBT) | |
| Vandre West | Ashish Shelar (BJP) | Asif Zakaria (Congress) | |
| Mumbadevi | Shaina NC (Shiv Sena) | Amin Patel (Congress) | |
| Kankavli | Nitesh Rane (BJP) | Sandesh Parkar (Shiv Sena-UBT) | |
| Kudal | Nilesh Rane (Shiv Sena) | Vaibhav Naik (Shiv Sena-UBT) | |
| Islampur | Nishikant Bhosale Patil (NCP) | Jayant Patil (NCP-SP) |
As trends begin to emerge, it will take time for a clear picture to develop. The final results, indicating which alliance is victorious in each state, are expected by the evening.