In Maharashtra, 4,136 candidates are vying for seats across 288 constituencies. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, over 500 candidates, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren, are competing for 38 out of the 81 Assembly seats.
In Short
– Maharashtra: 4,136 candidates contesting across 288 constituencies
– Jharkhand: Over 500 candidates vying for 38 seats
– Vote counting in both states on Saturday
Voting is currently underway in Maharashtra and Jharkhand for the crucial Assembly elections, which will determine the future of the ruling and opposition alliances in both states. Jharkhand is holding its second and final phase of voting today, while Maharashtra is conducting its election in a single phase.
Polling began at 7 am in both states. Voting will conclude at 6 pm in Maharashtra and 5 pm in Jharkhand, except for 31 booths in Jharkhand, where voting will end at 4 pm.
By 9 am, Maharashtra had a voter turnout of 6.61%, while Jharkhand recorded a turnout of 12.71%.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged voters, particularly women and the youth, in both states to cast their votes.
In Maharashtra, 4,136 candidates are competing across 288 constituencies. As part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the BJP is contesting 149 seats, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is contesting 81, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is vying for 59 seats.
In the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, the Congress has fielded 101 candidates, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting 95 seats, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP has 86 candidates in the race.
In Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) coalition is aiming to retain power, while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance seeks to take control.
A total of 528 candidates, including Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren, are contesting in 38 out of the 81 Assembly seats. The BJP has fielded candidates in 68 seats, with its allies AJSU Party contesting 10, JD(U) two, and Lok Janshakti (Ram Vilas) one.
Among the Opposition INDIA bloc, the JMM has candidates in 43 seats, Congress in 30, RJD in 6, and CPI(ML) in 4.
Vote counting in both states will take place on Saturday.
MAHAYUTI VS MVA IN MAHARASHTRA
The Maharashtra elections are largely a head-to-head contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). In the lead-up to the polls, top leaders from both sides, including Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, campaigned across the state.
The Mahayuti is relying on popular initiatives like the Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme for women to secure its hold on power. However, slogans used by alliance leaders, such as “Batenge toh katenge” and “Ek hai toh safe hai,” have led opposition parties to accuse the Mahayuti of attempting to polarize voters.
Meanwhile, the MVA has centered its campaign on issues like caste-based census, social justice, and defending the Constitution, aiming to resonate with voters who feel sidelined by the ruling Eknath Shinde government.
In addition to the major parties, smaller groups like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and AIMIM are also contesting the elections. The BSP has fielded 237 candidates, while AIMIM has put up 17.
This election sees a 28% increase in the number of candidates compared to the 2019 Assembly polls, with 4,136 candidates running, up from 3,239 in 2019. Of these, 2,086 are independents, and more than 150 rebels are contesting in various constituencies.
A total of 1,00,186 polling booths have been set up across the state.
JMM-CONGRESS-RJD vs BJP-LED NDA IN JHARKHAND
The second and final phase of voting in Jharkhand will determine the electoral fate of incumbent Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is out on bail and facing numerous attacks from the NDA. The NDA has accused the JMM-led coalition of allowing infiltration from Bangladesh and being mired in corruption.
During the campaign, top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP national president JP Nadda, have repeatedly accused Hemant Soren of corruption and looting the state and its people.
The removal of Champai Soren as Chief Minister shortly after Hemant Soren’s release on bail in June became a key point of focus for NDA leaders.
Champai Soren, who later joined the BJP, contested in the first phase of polling on November 13 from Sareikela, a seat he has held since 2005.
Meanwhile, INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have promised welfare schemes and accused the Centre of using investigative agencies to target opposition parties.
In today’s phase of voting, key figures include Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana, along with state BJP president and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto (JMM), Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri (BJP), and AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto, a BJP ally.
Voting is taking place in 38 seats, with 18 in the Santhal Pargana region, which includes six districts—Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Jamtara, Sahibganj, and Pakur. The remaining 18 seats are in the North Chotanagpur division, with two in South Chotanagpur.
A total of 14,218 polling stations have been set up, and 1.23 crore voters, including 60.79 lakh women and 147 third-gender voters, will cast their ballots.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the JMM won 30 seats, while the BJP secured 25, down from 37 in 2014. The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance secured a comfortable majority with 47 seats.
