Exit polls prediction for Maharashtra: Mahayuti’s win; MVA to fall short of majority

Voting for the Maharashtra Assembly elections concluded at 6 PM, with the state recording a voter turnout of 62.05% as of 10:35 PM, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). Maoist-affected Gadchiroli registered the highest turnout at 69.63%, while Mumbai city reported the lowest at 49.07% as of 5 PM. The results are set to be declared on November 23.

Key Election Details

The high-stakes campaign saw participation from prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who appealed for maximum voter turnout.

Maharashtra witnessed a fierce contest between two major political alliances:

The ruling Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), featuring the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).

A total of 4,136 candidates contested for the Vidhan Sabha’s 288 seats, marking a 27.7% increase compared to the previous elections. About 9.7 crore eligible voters cast their ballots at 1,00,186 polling stations across 52,789 locations, including 388 “pink booths” managed exclusively by women.

Key Voter Concerns

A survey conducted by Lokniti-CSDS and MIT-SOG between September 21 and October 6 identified the following as voters’ top concerns:

1. Unemployment (24%)
2. Inflation (22%)
3. Agricultural distress, with rural voters citing low minimum support prices (MSPs) and rising input costs.
4. Caste-based reservations are particularly contentious between the Maratha and OBC communities.

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Opposition parties criticized the state government for a “deteriorating law and order situation” following the death of NCP leader Baba Siddique and a police encounter with a rape accused in Badlapur. A case was filed against unidentified individuals for attempting to kill NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh, who was injured in a stone-pelting incident in Nagpur. Uddhav Thackeray accused the BJP of engaging in “note jihad,” alleging cash distribution in Palghar by BJP leader Vinod Tawde, who dismissed the claims as baseless. NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule filed a complaint and defamation suit after BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused her and Congress leader Nana Patole of using cryptocurrency funds to rig the elections. The ECI banned political ads in print media on November 19 and 20 unless pre-certified by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC).

Additional Updates

• Mumbai’s voter count exceeded 1 crore, up from 98.95 lakh in the Lok Sabha elections.
• Navi Mumbai police introduced a QR code service for voters, providing information on polling booths, parking, and crowd status.
• The BSE and NSE remained closed on election day.

Personal Milestones

Nationalist Congress Party candidate Zeeshan Siddiqui, contesting from Bandra East, cast his vote for the first time without his late father, Baba Siddiqui. He shared an emotional tribute while participating in the elections.

As the results approach, Maharashtra remains poised for a significant political shift, with critical issues and controversies shaping voter sentiment.