By Kamran Khan
Mahayuti alliance: Big victory in Maharashtra
The Mahayuti alliance has secured a ‘thumping majority’ in the Maharashtra elections, by early evening. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis remarked, “Ek hain toh safe hain, Modi hai toh mumkin hai.”
Fadnavis’ political journey has been steady and remarkable, starting from being an obscure corporator, to becoming Nagpur’s youngest mayor, and, then, Maharashtra’s first BJP chief minister. Now, at 54, he is tipped take over the state’s top post for the third time, though Eknath Shinde will stake his claim.
In a state traditionally dominated by Maratha politics, Fadnavis stands out as the second Brahmin—after Shiv Sena’s Manohar Joshi—to hold the chief minister’s position earlier. Known for his calm demeanor, he was the clear favourite for the role after the 2014 assembly, and is presumably backed by the RSS.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde expressed gratitude to the people of Maharashtra after the Mahayuti alliance crossed the 200-seat mark in the assembly elections. “I thank the voters of Maharashtra. This is a landslide victory. I had said earlier that Mahayuti would secure a thumping victory. I thank all sections of society, as well as the workers of the Mahayuti parties,” he said.
The Mahayuti is on track to retain power, leading in 218 out of 288 assembly seats, according to figures , according to the Election Commission’s trends by early evening on Saturday. Meanwhile, the opposition, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), is struggling, with its candidates ahead in only 50 seats, based on the initial counting results.
TMC rolls on
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her gratitude to the people of the state on Saturday as her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), appeared set to win all the six assembly seats in the by-elections. She said that the results would enable her to serve the people better.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to the ‘Maa, Mati, and Manush’. Your blessings will guide us in our work for the people in the days ahead. We are all common people, and that is our identity. We are not zamindars, but the caretakers of the people,” she wrote on X.
According to the Election Commission, TMC has secured victories in Naihati, Sitai, Haroa and Madarihat, while leading by significant margins in Taldangra and Medinipur.
Jharkhand: Hemant Soren-led alliance slated to win
Hemant Soren’s JMM-led alliance is poised to retain control of Jharkhand, leading in at least 50 seats in the 81-member state assembly on Saturday, according to Election Commission data. In contrast, the performance of the BJP-led NDA, which had launched an aggressive campaign using infiltrators as a card, and was hopeful about its prospects, fell short of expectations.
At around 4 pm on Saturday, the NDA was leading in 29 seats. The BJP’s polarising campaign focused on removing ‘infiltrators’, but it seemed to have been overshadowed by the JMM’s strategic use of the ‘adivasi’ card, along with the widespread sympathy over the arrest of Hemant Soren earlier.