Mumbai: As the counting of votes for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 progresses, early trends indicate setbacks for prominent Congress leaders. Former minister Balasaheb Thorat is trailing by 1,831 votes in the Sangamner assembly constituency. Similarly, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is behind by 1,590 votes in the Karad South seat after the first round of counting.
The counting, which began at 8 AM on Saturday, has drawn intense focus on the battle between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. The elections were held on November 20, with a voter turnout of 66.05%, a notable increase from the 61.1% recorded in 2019.
In the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP contested 149 seats, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) fielded candidates in 81 constituencies, and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) in 59. On the other hand, the MVA alliance saw the Congress contesting 101 seats, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) 95, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) 86.
With these initial trends, all eyes remain on how the remaining rounds of counting will shape the final outcome of this high-stakes electoral battle.