BJP’s Historic Win in Maharashtra: Sweeps to Power with Unprecedented Electoral Mandate

Mumbai: In a stunning political turnaround, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has stormed to a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, securing 233 out of the 288 seats, marking the party’s best-ever performance in the state. This marks an electoral sweep not seen in Maharashtra since 1980, with the BJP itself emerging as the single largest party, winning 132 of the 149 seats it contested. The victory follows a dismal showing just five months ago in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP was reduced to a mere nine seats from the 23 it had secured in 2019.

The BJP's strike rate of 90% in the Assembly polls stunned political analysts, signalling a complete reversal of fortunes for the saffron party, which had faced a severe setback earlier in the year. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena of Eknath Shinde faction, Ajit Pawar’s NCP and other allies, has already been invited to form the next government, with preparations underway for a swearing-in ceremony as soon as within the next three days.

Speaking at a press conference following the results, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose Shiv Sena faction secured 57 seats, expressed his gratitude towards the people of Maharashtra for their overwhelming support. “I can’t even think of words to thank the people enough. This is the mandate of the people. Those who indulged in negative campaigning and used foul words have been rejected by the people,” CM Shinde said.

The BJP’s rise to power has come as a political shock, especially given the fact that just five months ago, the party had been on the back-foot after a crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. In a complete reversal, BJP’s alliance managed to outperform the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which had been ahead in over 150 assembly segments during the Lok Sabha polls. The MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, secured only 50 seats in this election. In a blow to the opposition, the Congress saw its seat count plummet by more than half, securing just 16 seats—down from the 44 seats it had won in 2019.

The remarkable shift in the political landscape was also evident in the voting patterns. The BJP’s share of the vote stood at 26.8%, with Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) at 12.4% and NCP (Ajit Pawar) at 9%. The Congress saw a drastic decline, with its vote share dropping to 12.4%—down from 16.4% in 2019.

A Dramatic Political Shift

The political shift is being described as a “rejection of opportunistic politics,” with BJP leaders attributing the victory to the party’s focus on development and governance, as well as the electorate’s disillusionment with the opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday evening to celebrate the win, hailed the result as a resounding affirmation of the people’s faith in the BJP.

“The people of Maharashtra have stopped the conspiracy hatched by the Congress and their friends. Maharashtra has given a verdict: ‘Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai’ is India’s mantra,” PM Modi said, referring to the BJP's campaign against what it called the "opportunistic politics" of the opposition.

The election results came just weeks after the BJP’s surprise victory in Haryana, which had set the stage for this remarkable resurgence. Even senior party leaders, many of whom were closely involved in the Maharashtra campaign, expressed surprise at the scale of the victory.

Maharashtra’s Political Landscape Post-Election

As the BJP prepares to form the next government, key party figures are already in action. Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh, who played a key role in the 2014 Maharashtra elections, is expected to visit Mumbai on Sunday, November 24, to oversee the formation process as the central observer.
The outgoing term of the current Maharashtra Assembly ends on November 26, and the BJP is expected to take swift action to establish the new government. A preliminary meeting of Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde, was held on Saturday evening, granting Shinde the authority to take all decisions related to government formation on behalf of his party.

Results Breakdown:
* BJP: 132 seats (+27 from 2019), 26.8% vote share
* Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde): 57 seats, 12.4% vote share
* NCP (Ajit Pawar): 41 seats, 9% vote share
* Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray): 20 seats, 10% vote share
* NCP (Sharad Pawar): 10 seats, 11.3% vote share
* Congress: 16 seats (-28 from 2019), 12.4% vote share
* Others: 12 seats
*
What’s Next for the Opposition?

The MVA’s loss is being seen as a repudiation of its leadership and an indication of shifting political dynamics in Maharashtra. While the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) continue to hold sway in certain regions, their combined vote share and seat count have plummeted significantly. The Congress, in particular, has been dealt a blow, losing 28 seats compared to the 2019 election, and its political future in Maharashtra remains uncertain.

As the dust settles on this historic victory, all eyes are now on the next phase of government formation and the role the BJP will play in shaping Maharashtra’s political future for the years to come.​