D-day: All eyes on Maha & Jharkhand

Results for bypolls to 46 Assembly seats across 13 states and two Lok Sabha constituencies are also today

MUMBAI/RANCHI: As counting begins Saturday for the politically crucial Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the stakes are high for both the ruling alliances and the Opposition coalitions. Alongside, results for bypolls to 46 Assembly seats across 13 states and two Lok Sabha constituencies are also set to be announced.

In Maharashtra, the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is locked in a fierce contest with the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes factions of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). While most exit polls suggest an edge for the Mahayuti, the MVA is banking on a voter swing to regain its lost foothold.

The voter turnout in the single-phase polls on November 20 was 66.05 per cent, an increase from the 61.1 per cent recorded in 2019. Notably, rural districts such as Kolhapur and Gadchiroli reported high polling percentages of 76.63 per cent and 75.26 per cent, respectively, while urban areas like Mumbai lagged, with the island city recording only 52.07 per cent.