By 11 a.m., the early trends showed that the ruling MahaYuti alliance was poised for a landslide victory in the crucial Maharashtra Assembly 2024 elections, leaving the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in stunned silence.

According to the preliminary vote count, the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT), which are allies of the MVA, were facing significant setbacks in comparison to MahaYuti's Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party, which was sweeping the state.

On November 20, the state voted for 288 Assembly seats, and the vote count was conducted simultaneously everywhere.

As the counting goes on, the situation may change, but the most recent trends show MahaYuti leading in more than 200 constituencies, the MVA allies leading in about 60 seats, and smaller parties holding sway in the remaining seats.

While some newcomers or political greenhorns had established comparatively comfortable leads over their closest competitors, the initial counts revealed that many MVA mainstays were lagging behind their MahaYuti rivals in numerous constituencies.

Deputy chief ministers Ajit Pawar (NCP) in the prominent Baramati seat and Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) in Nagpur South West, who is currently widely predicted to be the next chief minister, were among those spearheading the trends.

Making his first comments, SS(UBT)’s MP Sanjay Raut said that “the results are absolutely unbelievable” and going contrary to the “mood of the people which we are well aware”.

He alleged various factors including huge money-power that may have aided the MahaYuti to score a spectacular lead over the MVA, though the Congress-NCP(SP) leaders have yet to make any comments.

However, several lower rung leaders of the MahaYuti, pleased by the indicators, have said that they are ‘vindicated’ by the results and the people of the state, particularly the ‘Ladki Bahins’, have taught a lesson to the MVA allies.