NDA or INDIA… Whose government is in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, results will come on Saturday, attention will also be on UP

Tomorrow is going to be a very important day for Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The results of the assembly elections held in both the states will be out. Apart from this, results of by-elections held in different states including Wayanad will also be revealed. However, all eyes are on the fight between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the India Bloc. While the NDA will try to retain Maharashtra and gain power in Jharkhand, the India faction will aim to cause an upset by defeating the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, while ensuring Hemant Soren’s victory in Jharkhand.

 

Maharashtra had the highest turnout in the last three decades, which was seen as a victory by both the ruling party and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. According to most exit polls, despite the close contest, the Mahayuti alliance is leading. At the same time, in Jharkhand, where the JMM-led alliance is battling the NDA faction, the voting was 68.45 percent. However, exit polls predict a change in power with the BJP-led alliance ousting Hemant Soren.

Counting of votes for Maharashtra Assembly elections will begin at 8 am on Saturday. The final turnout in the voting held on November 20 was 66.05 percent whereas in 2019 this figure was 61.1 percent. A total of 288 counting centers have been set up for counting of votes on Saturday, which also includes one center for Nanded Lok Sabha by-election. This time the number of candidates has increased by 28 percent compared to the 2019 assembly elections in the state. This year, 4,136 candidates contested the elections, while 3,239 candidates were in the fray in the 2019 elections. Of these candidates, 2,086 are independents. Rebel candidates were in the fray on more than 150 seats, with Mahayuti and MVA candidates contesting against their party’s official candidates.

Counting of postal ballots will start at 8 am and trends will start coming in from 9 am to 9.15 am. Elections in the state were held in two phases on 13 and 20 November. Of the total 81 seats, voting was held in 43 constituencies in the first phase, while voting was held in 38 constituencies in the second phase. The state witnessed a tough electoral contest between the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha led ‘India’ and the BJP led NDA. All eyes will be on the key seats that will decide the electoral fate of key politicians. Chief Minister Hemant Soren has contested from Barhet, his wife Kalpana from Gandey, while leader of opposition Amar Kumar Bauri (BJP) has contested from Chandankiyari. A total of 1,211 candidates were in the fray, including BJP’s Babulal Marandi in Dhanwar and JMM’s Ravindra Nath Mahato in Nala.

 

Counting of votes will begin at 8 am on Saturday amid tight security arrangements for the by-elections held on nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh. The by-election results will not have a direct impact on the government in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, but it is being seen as the first major clash between rival political parties after the recent Lok Sabha elections. By-elections will be held in Mirapur (Muzaffarnagar), Kundarki (Moradabad), Ghaziabad, Khair (Aligarh), Karhal (Mainpuri), Sisamau (Kanpur Nagar), Phulpur (Prayagraj), Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar) and Majhwan (Mirzapur) assembly constituencies of the state. Voting concluded on 20 November. According to official information, counting of votes on all these nine seats will start from 8 am on Saturday morning amid tight security arrangements.