Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will meet Governor Santosh Gangwar at 4 pm today to stake his claim to form the government after leading the JMM alliance to a decisive victory in the state assembly elections. The JMM alliance secured 56 out of 81 seats, far surpassing the majority mark of 41. Soren’s alliance outperformed the BJP-led NDA, which won only 24 seats. Soren has promised to continue his efforts to build a "Golden Jharkhand." This victory marks the first time an incumbent government has been re-elected after completing a full term in Jharkhand.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a resounding victory in Maharashtra, winning over 230 of 288 assembly seats. With this landslide, the leadership battle between Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and current CM Eknath Shinde has intensified. BJP, the largest party with 132 seats, is pushing for Fadnavis, while Shinde’s supporters cite his role in ensuring alliance stability. Senior BJP leaders, including Chandrakant Patil, have endorsed Fadnavis, but the final decision rests with the BJP central parliamentary board. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) managed just 46 seats, marking a significant setback for Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (UBT).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the BJP-led Mahayuti's victory in Maharashtra, securing 230 of 288 Assembly seats. He declared the "Ek hain toh safe hain" slogan as the country's new "maha-mantra" for unity, emphasizing its rejection of divisive politics. Modi criticized Congress and the INDIA bloc for attempting to divide society by caste and region. Highlighting this as the BJP's third consecutive triumph in Maharashtra, Modi called it the biggest victory in 50 years. He praised voters from all sections for supporting the BJP-NDA, claiming it as a blow to Congress's divisive agenda.

Priyanka Gandhi is poised to outperform her brother, Rahul Gandhi, in the Wayanad bypoll, with a lead of over 4 lakh votes. Priyanka secured 6,17,942 votes, significantly ahead of CPI's Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas. Rahul had previously won the seat in 2024 with 6,47,445 votes and a margin of 3,64,422. The bypoll was triggered after Rahul vacated the seat to retain Raebareli. Congress leaders have expressed confidence that Priyanka will surpass Rahul’s record and make a significant impact in Parliament. Priyanka expressed gratitude to voters, vowing to be their voice in the Lok Sabha.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde thanked voters as the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is set for a landslide victory in the state assembly elections. With leads in 218 of 288 seats, Mahayuti is poised to form the government. Shinde, while addressing speculation about his deputy Devendra Fadnavis being the BJP's CM choice, stated, “No decision on Chief Minister candidate has been taken yet.” He added that the alliance's parties would meet after the final results to decide. Shinde celebrated the victory with party workers, emphasizing the support of Maharashtra’s common people, farmers, and women voters.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), part of the INDIA alliance, is set to form its third consecutive government, securing leads in 55+ seats, well above the 42-seat majority mark. Defying exit poll predictions and overcoming challenges such as Soren's arrest in a money laundering case, the party retained its stronghold across key regions like Chota Nagpur and Santhal Pargana. JMM's campaign, focused on welfare schemes like Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana and tribal pride, resonated with women voters, evident in high female turnout. Meanwhile, BJP's campaign targeting illegal immigration failed to gain traction, securing only 23 seats.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis credited Mahayuti’s Assembly election victory to public acceptance of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP as the “real” factions. He emphasized the alliance’s unity, stating, “No row over the Chief Minister’s post; leaders will decide together.” Calling himself a “modern-day Abhimanyu,” Fadnavis credited teamwork for the win. He thanked voters for supporting the slogan "Ek hain toh safe hain," showcasing unity under Mahayuti. The win, he noted, reflects strong backing for PM Modi, Shinde, and Pawar's leadership.

Maharashtra's Assembly elections saw Mahayuti, led by BJP, winning a massive mandate with 215 seats, while the MVA opposition secured 65. Amid the results, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena UBT raised doubts about the fairness of EVMs. In Jharkhand, the JMM-led INDIA bloc overtook the BJP-led NDA, with INDIA securing 52 seats out of 81, ensuring its return to power. BJP, trailing at 29 seats, faced a major setback. The fate of key leaders, including Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, was decided, with BJP claiming a historic achievement in Maharashtra.

As the counting of votes continues for Maharashtra’s 288 assembly constituencies, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis leads by a significant margin in the Nagpur South West constituency. Fadnavis, contesting from the BJP, faces Congress candidate Prafull Gudadhe and is aiming for his fourth term. In other Nagpur constituencies, BJP candidates are also leading, including Dr. Ashishrao Deshmukh in Savner, with a substantial margin. Voter turnout in Maharashtra was 65.08%, and the BJP is currently leading the race in the state, while results for Jharkhand’s 81 seats are also being revealed.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has started the vote counting for the 2024 by-elections across 48 assembly seats and 2 parliamentary seats. In Wayanad, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is leading by over 1.5 lakh votes, consolidating her position. Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is ahead in 8 of the 11 seats. The results are crucial for both BJP and the opposition parties, as they set the stage for the upcoming 2027 assembly elections. The final tally will determine the political direction in several states, including Maharashtra and Jharkhand.