All eyes are now on the highly anticipated counting of votes and results of the high-stakes Maharashtra assembly election 2024, voting for which took place on November 20.
The counting of votes is slated to take place on Saturday, November 23, for the Maharashtra assembly poll.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance of chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar camp) is tied in a contest with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising the Congress and the breakaway faction of the Sena and NCP.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents have decided to house all its newly elected MLAs together in Mumbai after the Maharashtra election results tomorrow, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Friday.
The move is aimed at preventing poaching ahead of government formation.
Talking to reporters, Raut said MVA leaders, including himself, his party colleague Anil Desai, NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil and Congress leaders Satej Patil and Balasaheb Thorat met on Thursday and carried out an assessment of every seat.
Voting for all 288 seats of Maharashtra assembly took place in a single phase on November 20, with a voter turnout of about 66.05 being recorded. Mumbai City recorded the least polling, with a turnout of 52.65 per cent, while the highest was recorded at Gadchiroli.
The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has fielded candidates in 59 constituencies. In the opposition alliance, the Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and the NCP (SP) 86.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.
The opposition bloc – Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – is made of the Congress and the breakaway factions of Shiv Sena and the NCP, led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, respectively.