The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Mahayuti are projected to edge out the JMM-Congress alliance in Jharkhand and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in Maharashtra, as per most exit polls released on Wednesday. However, some pollsters have given a slight edge to the JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand and the MVA in Maharashtra.
Jharkhand Projections
In Jharkhand, Axis My India, led by psephologist Pradeep Gupta, stands apart by predicting a landslide victory for the JMM-Congress alliance, forecasting 53 out of 81 seats for the Hemant Soren-led coalition, while the BJP-led NDA is expected to secure only 25 seats.
The Electoral Edge exit poll also predicts a win for the JMM-led coalition but with a narrower margin, estimating 42 seats for the alliance and 32 for the NDA.
On the other hand, the Matrize Exit Poll forecasts a victory for the NDA with 42–47 seats, while projecting 25–30 seats for the INDIA bloc. Similarly, People’s Pulse predicts the NDA securing 44–53 seats and the INDIA bloc getting 25–37 seats.
The Times Now-JVC poll also leans toward an NDA win, estimating 40–44 seats for the BJP-led alliance, compared to 30–40 for the JMM-Congress alliance. Meanwhile, Dainik Bhaskar projects a neck-and-neck contest, forecasting 37–40 seats for the NDA and 36–39 seats for the JMM-led alliance.
Maharashtra Projections
In Maharashtra, most exit polls indicate a lead for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
- The Matrize Exit Poll projects 150–170 seats for Mahayuti and 110–130 seats for the MVA.
- People’s Pulse gives the Mahayuti an even more significant advantage with 175–195 seats, compared to 85–112 for the MVA.
- The P-MARQ Exit Poll suggests a tighter contest, with Mahayuti predicted to win 137–157 seats and the MVA 126–146 seats.
- Electoral Edge predicts an MVA victory with 150 seats while giving the BJP 121 seats.
- Lokshahi Rudra forecasts a close fight, with Mahayuti expected to win 128–142 seats and the MVA 125–140 seats.
Key Factors Influencing the Outcome
Several factors are expected to shape the final results of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections:
- Development and governance
- Coalition dynamics
- Local leadership
- National political trends
With the exit polls offering varying predictions, the final results will depend on voter turnout and ground-level sentiments.