Mumbai: The Congress party on Mumbai appointed observers for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, a day before the counting of votes for the assembly elections in both states. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge named Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, and G Parameshwara as party observers for Maharashtra, where elections were held on November 20 across 288 constituencies.
Gehlot, speaking to PTI, said, “Congress and the INDIA alliance are ready for tomorrow. We’ll head to Bombay. We had some complaints during the Haryana assembly polls, but we’re better prepared this time. Let’s see what happens tomorrow… the INDIA alliance will form the government in Maharashtra.”
For Jharkhand, Tariq Anwar, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and Krishna Allavuru have been assigned as observers. Voting in Jharkhand was conducted in two phases on November 13 and 20.
Exit Poll Predictions
Exit polls have largely favoured the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliances in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Some predictions, however, suggest a tight race between the rival alliances in both states, with the opposition holding a slight advantage.
In Maharashtra, where the majority mark in the 288-member assembly is 145, the ruling Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, is up against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed cautious optimism: “We have worked hard, and we expect good results. We will know tomorrow. It’s all speculation at this point,” he said.
In Jharkhand, the BJP has allied with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). Meanwhile, the JMM-led alliance includes Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). The BJP-led NDA has sharply criticized the ruling JMM-led coalition, focusing on allegations of corruption and infiltration, and drawing attention to the fact that the state’s chief minister is currently out on bail.
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