by Ashis Sinha

JNS: In Jharkhand, the NDA is predicted to fall short of the majority mark of 41 seats, with exit polls indicating that the alliance will win only 39 seats. The INDIA alliance is projected to be very close behind with 38 seats. Different exit polls for Jharkhand show varying results: Chanakya Strategies predicts 45-50 seats for the NDA, while Peoples Pulse forecasts 44-53 seats for the alliance. Times Now-JVC gives the NDA between 40-44 seats and the INDIA bloc between 30-40 seats. Axis My India and Electoral Edge suggest a tight contest, with equal chances for both sides, while Dainik Bhaskar and P Marq predict a hung assembly.

Meanwhile, the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, is set to secure a victory in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, according to five out of nine exit polls released on Wednesday evening.
Voting for the state’s crucial assembly election concluded earlier in the day.

However, three exit polls have predicted a hung assembly, indicating that no single party or alliance will be able to secure a majority. Despite this, the overall trend from the exit polls appears to favor the ruling NDA, which is also expected to face a close contest in Jharkhand.

An average of the exit polls gives the Mahayuti alliance 150 seats, which is eight more than the majority mark of 145 needed to form a government in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which consists of the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), is projected to win 125 seats, while non-aligned parties and independents are expected to secure 13 seats.

Exit polls conducted by agencies including Matrize, Chanakya Strategies, Times Now-JVC, Poll Diary, and Peoples Pulse predict the Mahayuti alliance will win between 122 and 195 seats. Predictions for the Mahayuti alliance range from 150-170 seats by Matrize, 175-195 seats by Peoples Pulse, 152-160 seats by Chanakya Strategies, and 150-167 seats by Times Now-JVC. Poll Diary has given the Mahayuti between 122 and 186 seats. On the other hand, the MVA is expected to win between 69 and 138 seats, according to these exit polls.

While these exit polls provide an indication of the likely outcomes, experts have warned that exit polls may not always be accurate, as demonstrated in previous elections such as those in Haryana. The final results of both Maharashtra and Jharkhand will be announced after the counting of votes on November 23.