Maharashtra & Jharkhand Assembly Elections: Counting of votes on Saturday; here are key things to know

All eyes will be on incoming trends this Saturday (November 23) when the counting of votes for the recently concluded Assembly elections in Maharashtra (288  seats) and Jharkhand (81  seats) will take place. Additionally, the ballots will also be counted for by-polls for 41 other Assembly seats in 14 states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. 

All eyes on Maharashtra & Jharkhand state election results on November 23; exit polls point to close contest in both states?

Exit poll trends suggest a close contest between the Centre-ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC)—the main opposition party in the Lok Sabha—in both states. 

In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and including the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction, is hoping to retain power against the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising the Indian National Congress (INC), the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).

In Jharkhand, the main battle is between the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led INDIA bloc and the BJP-headed NDA. Incumbent Chief Minister Hemant Soren took office in July.

Maharashtra Assembly Election Results Day

According to Zee Media’s AI-powered exit poll, the BJP-led alliance is predicted to bag 129-159 seats out of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, whereas the INC-led coalition is estimated to secure 124-154 seats. 

The halfway mark is 145.

Voting took place in a single phase for the 288 Assembly seats in the state on November 20. 

Also Read: Maharashtra Election 2024 Date and Time: When and where to track Assembly election results

Jharkhand Assembly Election Results day

According to the AI exit poll by Zee Media, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is predicted to bag 36-41 out of the 81 seats in the Jharkhand state Assembly whereas the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led INDIA bloc is set to win 39-44 seats.

The halfway mark is 41. 

Electors cast their ballots for the 81 seats in the state Assembly in two phases, on November 13 and November 20. 

Also Read: Jharkhand Election 2024 Date and Time: When and where to track Assembly election results