Maharashtra, Jharkhand assembly election results: Top 10 winners and losers | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is set for a commanding victory in Maharashtra, demonstrating remarkable electoral success. The BJP is projected to secure more than 100 constituencies, reinforcing its status as the dominant political force in the state. This performance indicates a significant recovery from its previous disappointing results in the Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the Hemant Soren-led INDIA bloc is poised to return to power, fending off BJP’s anti-infiltration pitch. Here’s a look at the top 10 winners and losers from these high-stakes elections.
Winners
1. PM Modi & Amit Shah
PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have proven their electoral mastery again. Their strategy, spearheaded by PM Modi’s ‘ek hai toh safe hai’ pitch, helped BJP and the Mahayuti alliance achieve a historic victory in Maharashtra. BJP’s record performance in the state also showcases Modi’s enduring appeal.
PM Modi covered 106 assembly constituencies in 10 rallies, while Union home minister Amit Shah covered 38 segments through 16 rallies. Congress top leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge attended only 7 and 9 rallies respectively.
2. Eknath Shinde
The Maharashtra battle was also a contest of identity and legacy. The Shiv Sena split in 2022 set the stage of major Sena vs Sena showdown this election. It was a popularity contest for Eknath Shinde, who joined hands with BJP to become the chief minister.
The election campaign focused on Shinde’s recent development work and also CM’s ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’, a monthly financial assistance program for poor women. Just like Madhya Pradesh, this scheme also seems to have played a significant role in boosting his popularity, especially among female voters.
3. Ajit Pawar
There were several prestige battles in Maharashtra, the major being Pawar vs Pawar. Ajit Pawar, who split the Sharad Pawar-led NCP last year and joined hands with Eknath Shinde and BJP, was set up against his nephew.
Earlier this year, his wife Sunetra Pawar had recently lost to his cousin Supriya Sule in the Baramati Lok Sabha seat. The Lok Sabha polls were a setback for the Ajit Pawar faction, which had managed to win only one out of the four seats. Ahead of the assebmly elections, Ajit Pawar had admitted that it was a mistake to field his wife against Supriya Sule. In another family contest, ‘saheb’ Sharad Pawar had fielded Yugendra Pawar against Ajit Pawar.
But the election result has given its mandate and Ajit Pawar has won this Pawar vs Pawar fight.
4. Devendra Fadnavis
The BJP has emerged as the biggest winner of this assembly elections by recording its own best in Maharashtra assembly elections. The Mahayuti is set to retain power in the state and the former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is the man of the moment.
Fadnavis is being credited for BJP-led Mahayuti’s success in the state, especially in the Vidarbha region.
“Devendra is Nagpur’s gift to the country,” PM Modi had said of him at an election rally. The 54-year-old leader, with deep roots in RSS, helped BJP work in coordination with the organisation after Lok Sabha setback.
Along with Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis is now also a frontrunner for the CM post.
5. Yogi Adityanath
As BJP’s star candidate, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath pushed for BJP in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand with several rallies. His slogan ‘batenge toh katenge’ stirred a controversy and split the leader within the Mahayuti with Ajit Pawar, Pankaja Munde and Ashok Chavan publically denouncing the slogan.
PM Modi, himself, never used UP CM’s slogan, and instead pitched ‘ek hai toh safe hai’ during election campaign.
The Maharashtra election results, however, have shown that Yogi Adityanath cannot be ignored as the BJP is recording its best-score ever in Maharashtra.
6. Hemant and Kalpana Soren
The INDIA bloc led by Hemant Soren is set to retain power in Jharkhand. Following his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case earlier this year, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has led the JMM alliance to an impressive victory in the assembly elections. Contrary to majority of exit poll forecasts, the JMM alliance is positioned to establish its third consecutive government.
The JMM’s electoral strategy centered on its welfare initiatives, particularly the “Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana”, alongside the adivasi asmita narrative. Under the Maiya Samman Yojana, qualifying women receive Rs 1,000 monthly support.
Hemant Soren and his wife, legislator Kalpana Soren, conducted approximately 200 campaign rallies following the election announcement. Kalpana’s entry into politics occurred after her husband’s detention earlier this year.
The party demonstrated resilience despite significant obstacles. Their success came even as two JMM legislators, Nalin Soren and Joba Majhi, secured victories in the Lok Sabha elections. The party also weathered the departure of key members including Sita Soren, Champai Soren, and Lobin Hembrom, who joined the BJP.
JMM’s return to governance in Jharkhand reflects the Soren family’s growing influence within tribal communities. Their support strengthened particularly after Hemant Soren’s apprehension on January 31 by the Enforcement Directorate regarding a money-laundering investigation connected to an alleged land irregularity.
Hemant and Kalpana effectively garnered tribal support through public sympathy. Despite prevailing anti-incumbency sentiments, the BJP proved unable to secure sufficient backing to establish a government.
LOSERS
7. Sharad Pawar
Just months after recent boost in Lok Sabha election, Sharad Pawar’s party NCP-SP is losing the Maharashtra assembly elections. In the 2019 assembly polls, the undivided NCP had won 54 seats. After the political upheaval in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar’s NCP is projected to hold the smallest representation in the assembly amongst significant state parties, trailing behind both the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, despite the latter experiencing its own division due to Eknath Shinde’s revolt in 2022.
In Lok Sabha, Ajit Pawar’s move to field his wife Sunetra Pawar against cousin Supriya Sule in the Baramati seat proved to be a disadvantage for him and an advantage for Sharad Pawar.
This time around, Sharad Pawar’s move to field Ajit Pawar’s nephew Yugendra Pawar did not help Pawar senior as his party is set to hit its lowest this election. Earlier, Sharad Pawar had hinted at retirement after his Rajya Sabha term ends in 2026. So is it the end for Sharad Pawar in active politics?
8. Uddhav Thackeray
Maharashtra election results have delivered a decisive blow to Uddhav Thackeray in what was the most significant prestige battle of Sena vs Sena. In his campaign messaging, his rival Eknath Shinde consistently portrayed himself as the representative backed by “real Shiv Sainiks”.
He frequently highlighted the distinction between his group’s support from party workers and Uddhav’s perceived reliance on electoral support from Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, especially in constituencies with significant Muslim populations.
The election results released today has given its verdict and it’s not in favour Uddhav Thackeray.
9. Rahul Gandhi and Congress
Another election, another loss and Congress yet again fails to make any impact. Despite Lok Sabha advantage, Congress lost Haryana and now has repeated its record in Maharashtra. It’s star campaigner Rahul Gandhi has also failed to change the party’s fate despite BJP fighting anti-incumbency.
Congress got the biggest seat-share in MVA of 101 seats. Despite this, the party has managed to lead in only around 20 per cent of the seats.
10. Himanta Biswa Sarma
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, after assuming the role of BJP’s election co-in-charge in Jharkhand, independently crafted a discourse in the state focusing on purported Bangladeshi migration into the Santhal Pargana area. This region encompasses six districts and contains seven assembly constituencies specifically designated for Scheduled Tribes (STs).
This polarisation rhetoric however fell flat in Jharkhand as the Hemant Soren-led INDIA bloc is set to retain power in the state.