Published: 10:55, November 24, 2024
India's main ruling party BJP-led alliance wins key state Maharashtra
By Xinhua
Election Commission of India staff show the Electronic Voting Machines to polling agents representing different political parties before starting tabulation of votes at a counting center for the Maharashtra state assembly elections in Mumbai on Nov 23, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

NEW DELHI - In what is seen as a major electoral victory, India's main ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance on Saturday won in the southwestern state of Maharashtra, which witnessed polling of votes three days ago.

Maharashtra's state capital Mumbai is the country's financial capital.

Counting of votes was still going on, but the trends indicated a tremendous comeback of the BJP-led alliance which had been ruling the state for the past two-and-a-half years.

ALSO READ: Indian political parties woo women voters with cash handouts amid economic woes

Named "Mahayuti" (Grand Alliance), the electoral grouping was seemingly winning more than 227 Assembly constituencies out of the total 288, while the opposition's alliance "Maha Vikas Aghadi" (Grand Development Front) comprising the country's main opposition party the Indian National Congress (INC) and others was leading in only 55 Assembly constituencies.

According to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) official website, the BJP alone won 15 Assembly constituencies and was leading in 115 constituencies, as its key alliance partners Shiv Sena won nine Assembly constituencies and was leading in 45 Assembly constituencies, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had won nine Assembly constituencies and was leading in 31 Assembly constituencies.

READ MORE: India's Congress party complains to election body over outcome of state poll

Meanwhile, in the eastern state of Jharkhand, which also went to polls over the past 10 days, the ruling alliance "INDIA" comprising the INC, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and others were expected to win 56 Assembly constituencies out of the total 81.

Final results in both states were expected to be officially announced by the ECI by late Saturday evening.