New Delhi: The counting of votes for the Maharashtra Assembly elections began at 8am on Saturday. The state, which voted in a single phase on 20 November, is witnessing a closely fought contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), making it a critical political battle for both camps.
The Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP—is optimistic about retaining power, supported by exit poll predictions favouring their victory. Meanwhile, the MVA—made up of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP)—is aiming to build on its strong showing in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where it secured 31 out of 48 seats.
Independents could be game-changers
A notable aspect of this election is the influence of rebels and independent candidates. Despite efforts by both alliances to pacify their dissenters, over 2,000 independents remain in the fray, accounting for nearly 50% of all candidates. These individuals are expected to play a pivotal role in determining the results in several constituencies.
Key constituencies to watch
While all 288 seats are witnessing intense multi-polar contests, some constituencies are drawing significant attention:
– Kudal: BJP’s Nilesh Rane is up against Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Vaibhav Naik.
– Islampur: Nishikant Bhosale Patil of NCP faces Jayant Patil of NCP (SP).
– Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar: Nawab Malik of NCP takes on Abu Azmi of the Samajwadi Party.
| Constituency | Winner | Loser |
| Kudal | ||
| Islampur | ||
| Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar |
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 counting progresses, early trends will provide an indication of the electoral direction. However, a clear outcome is expected to emerge only by evening, revealing which alliance will govern the state.