Elections LIVE | 58% turnout in Maharashtra, 67% in Jharkhand till 5 pm
In Maharashtra, the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is vying to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine is hoping for a strong comeback
Maharashtra recorded 58.22 per cent polling, while Jharkhand, in the second phase of polls, registered 67.59 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm on Wednesday (November 20) as the voting began in the two states at 7 in the morning.
Maharashtra, the richest state in India, is voting in a single phase for all 288 members of the legislative assembly. Jharkhand is witnessing polling for the remaining 38 seats, as voting for 43 constituencies took place in the first phase on November 13, recording a 64.86 per cent voter turnout.
Along with the legislative Assembly elections in these two states, bypolls for 15 Assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand are also being conducted on Wednesday.
Also read: Maharashtra, Jharkhand brace for high-stakes elections: It's a neck and neck contest in both states
Mahayuti vs MVA in Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is vying to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine is hoping for a strong comeback.
The election will determine whether the Mahayuti can reverse the massive losses it suffered during the recent Lok Sabha elections. In the Lok Sabha polls, the MVA won 30 of the 48 seats in the state and the Mahayuti just 17.
It will also be virtually a do-or-die battle for the rival factions of the Shiv Sena and the NCP as these are the first Assembly elections after two regional forces split up. The poll outcome will decided the political future of top leaders like Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde.
These elections will also have an impact on the national politics as a triumph for the Mahayuti will give a big boost to the NDA government at the Centre, while a victory for the MVA will bring back the INDIA bloc in the contention after the drubbing in Haryana Assembly elections.
Also read: Maharashtra polls | Race for CM's post hots up as both MVA, Mahayuti keep people guessing
BJP aiming to wrest Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition is seeking to retain power in Jharkhand, while the BJP-headed NDA will try to wrest it.
This phase will decide the electoral fate of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren (both JMM), and Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri (BJP) besides more than 500 other candidates who are contesting in 38 of the total 81 assembly seats.
Polling began at 7 am in 14,218 polling stations and will continue till 5 pm barring 31 booths where it will end at 4 pm. The first phase of the elections was held on November 13.
Besides CM Soren and his wife, prominent among the candidates in this round include state BJP president and ex-CM Babulal Marandi, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto (JMM) and BJP ally AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto.
(With agency inputs)
Live Updates
- 20 Nov 2024 8:41 AM IST
UP bypolls: Adityanath, Akhilesh urge people to cast their votes
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav urged the people to go out and vote as nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh hold bypolls on Wednesday.
Voting is underway in Meerapur, Ghaziabad, Kundarki, Khair, Karhal, Sisamau, Katehari, Majhawan, and Phulpur.
In his social media message, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called on the voters to support the uninterrupted development journey of the state.
"Appeal to the respected voters to vote to provide more speed and strength to the uninterrupted development journey of Uttar Pradesh. Vote unitedly to bring comprehensive and positive change in the lives of 25 crore residents of the state," he said in a Hindi post on X.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, in his appeal, encouraged people to cast their votes with their future and the values of the Constitution in mind.
"Voters of the nine assembly seats in UP where elections are being held are requested to go and cast their vote while remaining committed to their future and the Constitution," Yadav wrote on X in Hindi.
- 20 Nov 2024 8:00 AM IST
Voting commences for bypolls to four Punjab Assembly segments
Polling began amid tight security at 7 am on Wednesday for bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab.
Bypolls to the Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala assembly segments were necessitated after the incumbent lawmakers were elected to the Lok Sabha.
Among the key contestants in the fray are former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Kewal Singh Dhillon, Sohan Singh Thandal and Ravikaran Singh Kahlon (BJP), Amrita Warring and Jatinder Kaur (Congress), and Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon and Ishank Kumar Chabbewal (AAP).
Warring is the wife of the Congress' Punjab chief and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. Jatinder Kaur is the spouse of Gurdaspur MP and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has not fielded candidates for the bypolls, the results of which will be announced on November 23.
- 20 Nov 2024 7:58 AM IST
Voting begins in Uttar Pradesh for bypolls to nine assembly seats
Voting began at 7 am on Wednesday for bypolls to nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.
The constituencies going to the polls are Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur and Kundarki. The votes will be counted on November 23.
While eight seats fell vacant following the incumbent MLAs' election to the Lok Sabha, polling in Sisamau is being conducted due to Samajwadi Party lawmaker Irfan Solanki's disqualification from the assembly after his conviction in a criminal case.
This is the first electoral contest in the state after the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress is not contesting these bypolls and has lent support to the Samajwadi Party, its INDIA bloc ally. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting on all nine seats.
According to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), more than 34.35 lakh voters -- of whom 15.88 lakh are women -- are eligible to exercise their franchise.
