After a lackluster performance in this year’s Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made a resounding comeback in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), achieved a landslide victory by winning 230 of the state’s 288 seats.
Among the Mahayuti partners, BJP emerged as the strongest performer. The saffron party fielded candidates in 149 constituencies, of which 132 emerged victorious, resulting in an impressive strike rate of 88.6%. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena secured 57 of the 80 seats it contested, with a strike rate of 71.3%, placing it second. Ajit Pawar’s NCP followed closely, winning 41 out of 59 seats, achieving a strike rate of 69.5%.
An interesting highlight of the election was BJP’s consistent performance. All BJP candidates either won or finished as runners-up. None of its candidates placed third or lower, underscoring the party’s dominance. A total of 17 BJP candidates finished as runners-up.
BJP’s Runner-Up Constituencies (with vote margins):
Akola West: 1,283
Armori: 6,210
Brahmapuri: 13,971
Dahanu: 5,133
Kalina: 5,008
Karjat Jamkhed: 1,243
Latur City: 7,398
Malad West: 6,227
Malshiras: 13,147
Nagpur North: 28,467
Nagpur West: 5,824
Palus Kadegaon: 30,064
Sakoli: 208
Umred: 12,825
Versova: 1,600
Wani: 15,560
Yavatmal: 11,381
The performance of the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has been disappointing. The alliance's main parties — Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) — managed to secure victory in only 46 seats.
After the resounding victory in the assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance is set to form the government in the state once again. According to reports, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is likely to return as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Speculations suggest that Fadnavis will take the oath as the next Chief Minister in a grand ceremony at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Monday, November 25.
However, no official statement has been issued by the party or the alliance regarding this development.
