Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout that has not been witnessed in thirty years thanks to enthusiastic voting. After the elections were counted, the Mahayuti (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP) came to power. After an uprising led the Shiv Sena and NCP to split, these elections served as a test for the parties. Ajit Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the parties would talk about the next chief minister even as the Mahayuti's victory became more apparent. A multi-million dollar bitcoin scam involving Mr. Patole's and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule's names caused a rift during an otherwise peaceful election. Additionally, the opposition claimed that BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde allegedly distributed ₹5 crore as part of a cash-for-votes fraud.
Despite the victory, discussions regarding the chief ministerial position remain ongoing. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis emphasized that the CM decision would consider all stakeholders' input, signaling no internal disputes within the alliance. Both Fadnavis and current CM Eknath Shinde are considered frontrunners for the post.
In Saturday's elections for the 288-seat Maharashtra assembly, 21 female candidates won, and only one of them is from the opposition. With 14 female candidates who won, including 10 who were re-elected, the BJP took the lead. These included Shweta Mahale from the Chikli constituency, Meghana Bordikar from Jintur, Devyani Farande from Nashik Central, Seema Hiray from Nashik West, Manda Mhatre from Belapur, Manisha Chaudhari from Dahisar, Vidya Thakur from Goregaon, Madhuri Misal from Parvati, Monica Rajale from Shevgaon, and Namita Mundada from Kaij. Shreejaya Chavan (Bhokar), Sulabha Gaikwad (Kalyan East), Sneha Pandit (Vasai), and Anuradha Chavan (Fulambari) are the four new female BJP MLAs. On Shiv Sena tickets, Manjula Gavit (Sakri) and Sanjana Jadhav (Kannad) were elected. NCP tickets were gained by Aditi Tatkare (Shrivardhan), Saroj Ahire (Deolali), Sana Malik (Anushaktinagar), and Sulbha Khodke (Amravati). The only female MLA on the opposition side would be Jyoti Gaikwad (Dhavari), a member of the Congress.
AIMIM's candidate in Malgaon Central won by 162 votes, while Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole won by 208 votes from Sakoli, among other candidates, by extremely narrow margins in the Maharashtra assembly elections.
The election saw a fierce contest across constituencies, with high-profile battles such as Ajit Pawar securing a significant victory in Baramati. The results highlight the continued influence of the Mahayuti in state politics, although debates on leadership and cabinet formation are expected to unfold in the coming weeks
