232 out of 288: Mahayuti scores double century and registers ‘Maha’ win in Maharashtra, decimates MVA | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Mahayuti of BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP have won a landslide in Maharashtra, completely decimating the power of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). With 236 seats, the ruling coalition has retained power in the state, with a huge two-thirds majority in the 288-member assembly.
The BJP has emerged as the biggest winner in these elections, winning 132 seats on its own with a whopping strike rate of almost 90%. This is 27 seats more than five years ago. The two other Mahayuti partners – the Shiv Sena and the NCP – have also outperformed their rival factions in the opposition bloc.
The MVA, which scored high after its success in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, has fallen flat – decimated and devastated by the results. All three of the MVA’s partners performed poorly, contributing equally to the opposition coalition’s overall dismal show.
Sharad Pawar, who has hinted that this would be his last election, witnessed his worst performance ever. His party won only ten seats.
The Congress also delivered a disastrous performance by winning only 16 seats. This is less than half the number of 44 seats in 2019. The grand old party, which had surprised everyone, including itself, by emerging as the biggest winner in the state in the Lok Sabha elections, finished at the bottom of the ladder in the state assembly.
Pass by election resultsthe Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana has emerged as a crucial factor in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, significantly influencing voter behavior and contributing to the success of the Mahayuti alliance.
Initiated by the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government, this scheme provides monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to women aged 21 to 65 from families with an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh. The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP-led Mahayuti government strategically rolled out this welfare program after the Lok Sabha elections, providing monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to over 2.47 crore women in the state from July to November 2024.
Between July and November 2024, the state paid Rs 18,525 crore under the scheme, which benefited around 2.47 crore women. This significant financial support has been credited directly to the beneficiaries’ accounts, increasing their economic stability.
Internal rifts lead to MVA
On paper it was a battle of equals. In fact, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would have an edge over Mahayuti after the 2024 LS polls. But when it came to running the election campaign, the MVA’s internal divisions came to the fore. The alliance, comprising ideologically diverse parties — Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) and NCP (Sharad faction) — struggled to maintain unity and create a cohesive front.
Disagreements over seat distribution, leadership roles and campaign priorities became apparent during the election season, undermining the alliance’s ability to present itself as a credible alternative to the BJP-led Mahayuti. For example, the lack of a unified strategy on critical issues such as the Maratha reservations alienated key voter groups that traditionally supported the alliance.