The ruling Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections, winning 230 out of 288 seats. Key factors contributing to their win include the popularity of the Ladki Bahin Yojana cash transfer scheme for women, consolidation of OBC and pro-Hindutva votes, and strategic counter-campaigns addressing concerns raised during the previous Lok Sabha elections.
Cash handouts emerged as a key factor in recent state elections, with Maharashtra and Jharkhand witnessing parties promising increased direct transfers to voters. While these schemes come at a significant cost to state finances, they are seen as crucial for securing votes, particularly from women.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife, Kalpana Soren, secured victories in the assembly elections. Former CM Champai Soren also won on a BJP ticket. The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, a new political force, gained a seat. Notable losers include Sudesh Mahto, Amar Bauri, and Banna Gupta.
The Aam Aadmi Party celebrated victory in three out of four Punjab Assembly by-elections, marking their first-ever wins in those constituencies. AAP MP Raghav Chadha attributed the success to the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the popularity of Arvind Kejriwal.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar stressed the strategic importance of the semiconductor industry, comparing it to the next global battleground. He highlighted India's renewed focus on semiconductor manufacturing, citing recent partnerships and investments as evidence of the government's commitment to becoming a major player in the sector.
The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance has secured a resounding victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections, winning 236 seats in the 288-member assembly. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats. The opposition MVA alliance suffered a crushing defeat, with internal divisions and the popularity of the Mahayuti's welfare schemes cited as contributing factors.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a sweeping victory, secured the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll seat. Expressing gratitude towards the people of Wayanad and her family, she acknowledged her brother Rahul Gandhi's contributions and the unwavering support of her mother, husband, and children, Raihan and Miraya.
The Congress party expresses surprise at the unexpected victory of the Mahayuti alliance in the Maharashtra elections. They plan to thoroughly analyze the results and investigate concerns regarding electoral transparency, citing discrepancies between the recent state elections and the Lok Sabha results.
Congress candidate Rahul Mamkootathil won the Palakkad Assembly by-election by a margin of 18,840 votes, retaining the seat for the UDF. Mamkootathil secured 58,389 votes, defeating BJP's C Krishnakumar and LDF's P Sarin. The by-election, necessitated by Shafi Parambil's resignation, saw controversies including Sarin's switch to LDF and allegations of voter list irregularities.
Ajit Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), secured a resounding victory in the Baramati assembly constituency, defeating his nephew and solidifying his political standing. This win marks his eighth consecutive term and a significant power shift within the Pawar family.
Shiv Sena's Dadaji Bhuse and AIMIM's Mohammed Ismail Abdul Khalique secured victories in the Malegaon outer and Central elections respectively. Maharashtra's political landscape, marked by alliances and shifts, saw the ruling Mahayuti alliance leading in 225 out of 288 assembly seats based on early counting trends, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi trailed behind with leads in only 46 seats.
Recent by-elections saw significant victories for the ruling BJP and its allies. The BJP dominated in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, while also sweeping Bihar alongside its NDA partners. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi secured her first electoral win in Kerala's Wayanad, while the TMC maintained its stronghold in West Bengal.
Congress candidate Rahul Mamkootathil is leading in the Palakkad Assembly bypoll with 17,276 votes, surpassing BJP's C Krishnakumar by 1,366 votes, according to the latest Election Commission data. The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Congress leader Shafi Parambil.
