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The BJP-led Mahayuti has delivered a resounding victory in Maharashtra, securing 234 seats and marking the BJP's best-ever performance in the state. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which had performed impressively in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, suffered a severe blow. The MVA's cumulative tally was 48, less than one-fourth of the NDA's numbers. The BJP won 132 seats, with its allies, the Shiv Sena (54 seats) and the Nationalist Congress Party (41 seats), contributing significantly to Mahayuti's landslide victory.
PM Modi Hails Maharashtra Victory
At a rally to mark the victory, PM Narendra Modi said, "This is third consecutive time that any alliance led by BJP has won in Maharashtra. This is the third time in a row when the BJP has come out as the single largest party in Maharashtra. This is historic. This shows the governance model of the BJP. The BJP alone has got more seats than MVA."
He added, "Maharashtra has become the sixth state which has given mandate to the BJP three times continuously. We will continue working like this. I would like to specially thank and congratulate people of Maharashtra, that for the third time they have chosen a stable government."
Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, as a gesture of thanks, redefined the term 'CM'. "For me, the full form of CM is not Chief Minister, it's Common Man," he said at a press briefing also attended by Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. He further said, "Our government was the common man's government. I am thankful to PM Modi for his incredible support. Women, children and farmers were the centre point for us. We want to convert the common man into 'Superman'."
Opposition Question Landslide Victory
On the losing end, Opposition leaders expressed concern over the "huge margin" of victory for the NDA, especially considering its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "The Lok Sabha election was fought in the name of Modi ji in Maharashtra. BJP lost it. The same state gives the same BJP 132 out of 148 seats within 4-5 months. What kind of strike rate is this? Is this strike rate possible? Democracy is our concern. Electoral transparency is our concern. Can the BJP reverse anti-incumbency? We complained continuously. No answer was given. Whether we win or lose, we will continue to question the election process. You cannot shut us up by showing the results of Jharkhand. To date, apart from the poetry, we have not received any concrete answer from the Election Commission."
The results come as a major setback for MVA leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, who faced personal and political losses earlier this year, including losing their party names and symbols to internal mutinies. Both leaders had described this election as a fight for prestige. However, their defeat has come has a shock.
Uddhav Thackeray said, "Cannot believe Maharashtra, which listened to me as head of family during COVID, will behave with me this way."
Opposition Gets Relief In Jharkhand
The small relief for the Opposition INDIA bloc came in Jharkhand, where the JMM-led alliance secured a majority, winning 56 seats in the 81-member Assembly, improving upon its 2019 tally. "This is a victory for Jharkhand's people and their faith in inclusive governance," a JMM leader said.
The NDA, which ran on an "anti-infiltrator" agenda, secured only 24 seats in the state.
Parliamentary Bypolls Evenly Split
In the Parliamentary bypolls, the results were evenly split, with the BJP winning Maharashtra's Nanded seat and Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claiming a landslide victory in Wayanad by over 4 lakh votes in her electoral debut.
Assembly Bypolls A Mixed Bag
The 48 Assembly bypolls showcased a mixed bag of results. The NDA gained in Assam, Bihar, and Rajasthan, while Congress managed a consolation win in Karnataka. Trinamool Congress swept West Bengal, and the Samajwadi Party faced a significant setback in Uttar Pradesh.