Maharashtra Election Exit Poll 2024 Live Updates: Exit polls predict BJP-led Mahayuti win in Maharashtra, project over 150 seats

Maharashtra Deputy chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday evening visited RSS headquarters in Nagpur after voting for the state assembly polls concluded. According to sources, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and former general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi were present in the Sangh headquarters situated in Mahal area.

Fadnavis was present in the Sangh headquarters for around 15 to 20 minutes, sources added.

Earlier in the day, Fadnavis along with his family members cast his vote in western Nagpur. (PTI)

The results of the assembly elections will be declared on November 23.

Fadnavis is seeking another term from the Nagpur South West assembly segment.

BJP expected to win Maharashtra with 160 seats in poll of polls. MVA is predicted to win 119 seats, with Independents bagging 9 seats.

Mahayuti: 122-186
Maha Vikas Aghadi: 69-121
Others: 12-29

• BJP: 89-101
• Congress: 39-47
• Shiv Sena: 37-45
• NCP(SP): 35-43
• Shiv Sena (UBT): 21-29

Chanakya Strategies has predicted an edge for the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra with 152-160 seats. Opposition's MVA is likely to win 130-138 seats. Chanakya exit poll has predicted 6-8 seats for Independents.

• Mahayuti: 182 (175-195)
• MVA: 97 (85-112)
• Others: 9 (7-12)

*Majority Mark: 145/288

P-Marq, in its exit polls, has predicted that BJP is likely to win 137-157 seats, while opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to remain close with 126-146 seats. In the P-Marq predictions, 2-8 Independents are expected to have an edge in the state.

Matrize has predicted 150-170 seats for BJP-Mahayuti, and opposition MVA is expected to win 110-130 seats. The Independents are likely to win around 8-10 seats.

According to the Gujarat Satta Bazar: BJP-led Mahayuti will bag 138-141 seats in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s local betting markets anticipate varying seat distributions among major parties, but still predicting a close fight.

NCP (SP) spokesperson Nitesh Karale from Maharashtra's Wardha constituency on Wednesday claimed that he was assaulted by two BJP supporters near a polling station.

The leader belonging to Sharad Pawar's party, popular among locals as Karale Master, said the incident took place at Umri Meghe when he was returning after casting his vote.

Polling was conducted on Wednesday in all 288 assembly seats in the state.

Karale claimed he came across a BJP booth set up near the polling centre. When he confronted those manning the booth, two persons got into a heated exchange with him and assaulted him, alleged the NCP (SP) spokesperson.

A purported video of the alleged incident has surfaced on social media.

In the Wardha constituency, BJP's Pankaj Rajesh Bhoyar is up against Shekhar Pramod Shende of the Congress.

According to locals, Karale was not supposed to be at that booth which belonged to the BJP.

Karale said he filed a police complaint about the alleged assault.

According to sources in Wardha police, they will hear both sides before taking the next step.

Meanwhile, a polling booth was vandalised and an NCP (SP) worker was assaulted in the Parli assembly constituency, from where minister Dhananjay Munde of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is seeking re-election, an official said.

58.22 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm in Maharashtra assembly elections: Poll official

Bollywood actor Govinda, who accidently shot himself in the leg last month, was spotted outside a polling booth in Mumbai on Wednesday as he arrived to cast his vote during the Maharashtra assembly elections.

The actor was all smiles as he posed while showing his inked finger.

Asked about his recovery, Govinda smiled and said, "Sab accha hai (Everything is fine)."

A 113-year-old woman and a 103-year-old wheelchair-bound freedom fighter voted in the Maharashtra assembly elections in Mumbai on Wednesday, showcasing their commitment to the democratic process in the metropolis ill-famous for voter apathy.

Several octogenarians exercised their franchise in various assembly segments in Mumbai since 7 AM, thanks to facilities such as wheelchairs, wheelchair-friendly vans, Divyang-friendly buses, stair-climbing wheelchairs etc being made available at polling booths by the Election Commission.

Kanchanben Nandkishor Badshah, a 113-year-old resident of Nepean Sea Road, went to a polling station at Malabar Hill to exercise her franchise with the help of her relatives, a civic official said.

Amid high security, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan arrived at a polling booth in Mumbai to cast his vote in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The superstar was seen donning a grey t-shirt, jeans, and a cap.

He reached the polling booth to cast his vote.

NCP (SP) candidate from Parli assembly constituency, Rajesaheb Deshmukh, on Wednesday claimed that a CCTV camera was disabled at a polling booth in Dharmapuri.

In a purported video, a visibly annoyed Deshmukh can be seen talking to the polling staff about the "detached" cable of a CCTV camera and demanding to know who had done it.

Later, speaking to reporters, Deshmukh claimed that the CCTV had been made dysfunctional.

"People from minority communities are not being allowed to come to the booth to vote. Someone else is pressing the button (on EVM). If this is the case, why do we even need an election? It seems the administration is merely completing a formality," he claimed.

Polling in all 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

In the Parli constituency in Beed district, Deshmukh from Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) is up against Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde of NCP, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. (PTI)

Three unidentified persons allegedly opened fire at Shiv Sena candidate Bhausaheb Kamble's car in Maharashtra's Shrirampur in the early hours of Wednesday, police said. The three persons riding two motorcycles targeted Kamble's car near Ashok Sugar Mills on the day of polling. The bullets, however, didn't hit the car and Kamble, a police official said.

Shrirampur Police in Ahilyanagar district registered an FIR against unidentified persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) on a complaint lodged by Kamble, the official said.

Nobody has been arrested so far and the investigation is underway, he added.

Kamble is in the poll arena against Congress' Hemant Bhujangrao Ogale.

Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 45.53 per cent till 3 pm on Wednesday in the elections to the 288-member state legislative assembly. (PTI)

As the voting for the single-phase assembly polls in Maharashtra is underway, Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday exuded confidence in winning the elections and said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will form government in the state.

"The election trends are nice. People are voting in large numbers. Voting will conclude peacefully. MVA will form a government," Pilot told ANI.

After a sluggish start, voter turnout in Maharashtra started to pick up, reaching 45.53 per cent by 3.00 pm in the single-phase assembly elections on Wednesday.

A naxal hit Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra recorded the highest voter turnout of 62.99 per cent, while the district of Thane recorded the lowest voter turnout of 38.94 per cent and Mumbai city recorded 39.34 per cent till 3 pm, as per the data of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

As per the data of the ECI, Mumbai Suburban recorded a voter turnout of 40.89 per cent, Nagpur 44.45 per cent, Aurangabad 47.05 per cent, Pune 41.70 per cent, Nashik 46.86 per cent, Satara 49.82 per cent, Dhule 47.62 per cent, Palghar 46.82 per cent, Ratnagiri 50.04 per cent, Nanded 42.87 per cent and Latur 48.34 per cent.

Mumbai civic chief Bhushan Gagrani on Wednesday appealed to voters in the metropolis to cast their ballots, assuring that every polling booth in the city has good facilities.

Polling in all 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

After casting his vote at KC College near Churchgate station in south Mumbai, the senior IAS official appealed to Mumbaikars to come out in large numbers and participate in the democratic process.

"The administration has provided good facilities at each polling station. Every Mumbaikar must go to the polling stations in their respective constituencies and vote," said the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das and leading captains of industry cast their vote in the financial capital for the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday. Das went to exercise his franchise with his wife at a booth near his official residence in south Mumbai, and complimented the election officials for the arrangements they have made.

Former chairman of HDFC, Deepak Parekh, also voted at a booth in a south Mumbai neighbourhood and appealed to everybody to vote pointing to his swift experience at the booth.

Amid concerns about low turnouts repeatedly in the financial capital, the outspoken financial services industry veteran questioned the reasons for the reluctance to participate in the process despite incentives like a public holiday being thrown in.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday cast his vote at a polling station in Mumbai. He was accompanied by his wife Rashmi Thackeray and son and party leader Aaditya Thackeray.

After casting their vote, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray urged the voters to cast their vote, saying "Step out and vote."
Meanwhile, Maharashtra, after 4 hours of voting, still registered a slow voter turnout of 18.14 per cent, after which Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar urged the people to exercise their right to vote to bring a change in the state.

In a self-made video, Wadettiwar said, "Voting is taking place today in this land that nurtured the ideologies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. I urge everyone to come and exercise your right to vote. I hope you will all vote for the respect, pride, and culture of Maharashtra, and also to continue with the ideology of the great people of Maharashtra."

Shiv Sena MP and its candidate from the Worli assembly seat, Milind Deora, cast his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Speaking to ANI, Milind Deora said that voting is everyone's right and duty.

"People should step out and vote in large numbers. Voting is everyone's right and duty. The parties, the alliance that has worked for people, would like to work for them even in the time to come," the Shiv Sena leader said.

Shiv Sena MP and candidate from the Worli Assembly seat, Milind Deora, also showed his inked finger after voting.
Deora is contesting election against sitting Worli MLA and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Wednesday voted for his son Amit, who is making his electoral debut from the Mahim assembly seat in Mumbai. Talking to reporters later, Thackeray said people have seen the outcome of lower percentage in the last five years and urged voters to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

Not voting cannot be an option, he said. When asked how he felt voting for his son, he smiled and said, "It was (a) good (feeling)." The MNS president was accompanied by his wife Sharmila and daughter Urvashi. Amit is making his electoral debut from Mahim which is witnessing a triangular contest this time with ruling Shiv Sena's Sada Sarvankar and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Mahesh Sawant also being in the fray.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar on Wednesday reiterated his prediction saying that the national political parties would have limited impact in the Maharashtra elections, and asserted that regional parties in the state will emerge stronger.

"We had earlier predicted that the National political parties will not have much influence in the Maharashtra elections. I see the prediction is correct. Regional parties will be strengthened," VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar told ANI.

VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar cast his vote for the Maharashtra assembly elections at a polling booth in Akola earlier in the day.

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches at the Chhattisgarh premises of Gaurav Mehta, allegedly linked to a bitcoin transactions case in poll-bound Maharashtra, official sources said. The searches are being conducted as part of an ongoing money laundering probe.
The locations of Mehta in Chhattisgarh's capital city Raipur are being covered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.

The BJP has accused NCP leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole of allegedly using Bitcoins illegally to fund the current elections as its leaders played a recording purportedly claiming it to be Sule's voice. Mehta is allegedly linked to these transactions.
Sule has denied the allegations.

A man wanted by the Enforcement Directorate in a 'cash-for-votes' case-linked money laundering investigation in Maharashtra has been apprehended at the Ahmedabad international airport, official sources said on Wednesday.

Nagani Akram Mohammad Shafi was intercepted by immigration authorities at the airport in neighbouring Gujarat on the basis of a lookout circular (LOC) issued by the ED. He was "trying to flee" to Dubai, they said.

The central agency conducted searches in poll-bound Maharashtra and Gujarat last week in the case registered against a Malegaon-based trader, Siraj Ahmed Harun Meman, who allegedly misused bank accounts of various people to carry out transactions worth more than Rs 100 crore. (PTI)

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the assembly elections will decide Maharashtra's future and appealed to people in the state to exercise their franchise. Talking to reporters in Baramati town of Pune district after casting his vote, Pawar said all the electors should exercise their right to vote.

"This election is extremely important. It will decide the future of Maharashtra. I appeal to all citizens to come out and vote," he said.

"It is not good that the voter percentage in Maharashtra is less than smaller states in the north east," the former Union minister said. (PTI)

Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan was spotted at a polling booth as voting for the Maharashtra Assembly elections began early morning on Wednesday.
The actor kept his look simple, as he wore a white shirt paired with blue jeans. Kartik posed for the paparazzi, while showing his inked finger after casting his vote.

While speaking to the media, the 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' actor encouraged citizens to exercise their right to vote.

He said, "Hum sab ka farz banta hain vote karna toh ap sab jaeye aur vote kare" (It is our duty to vote, so everyone should go and cast their vote).

Amid the 'cash for vote' allegations around BJP leader Vinod Tawde, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said on Wednesday that it was an act of sheer desperation by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) so that they could buy the elections out.

Speaking to ANI, Chaturvedi said "The sheer desperation of the BJP has been made obvious since yesterday morning where Vinod Tawade, a senior leader of BJP has been caught distributing money to the people of Maharashtra in the hope of buying the elections out. They know they are headed toward a disastrous election outcome."

Notably, BJP leader Vinod Tawde has been accused of distributing money. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate has claimed that a bag containing Rs 5 crores in cash was found with Tawde at a hotel in Virar East.

Further, Chaturvedi spoke on the "Bitcoin scam" allegations on NCP's Supriya Sule and Congress' Nana Patole and said that the video was a fake AI made in order to mislead the voters of Maharashtra.

"If you look at the audio clip of Supriya Sule, and those who have seen her over years will tell you that neither are the words hers and neither is the accent. Clearly, it's a cheap fake AI trick which has been made to mislead the voters but the voters of Maharashtra are very clear that they are voting for the Maha Vikas Aghadi. They are going to give us a full mandate," she said.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Mahayuti government will get a thumping majority as people will vote for development and work done by his dispensation.

Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena and seeking his re-election from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly constituency in Thane, was talking to reporters after casting his vote along with his family members, including his MP son Shrikant Shinde.

He said election is a festival of democracy that will take Maharashtra towards a brighter future and make India an economic superpower. Shinde urged voters across the state to actively participate in the electoral process.