Mumbai: Maharashtra voted in oneness. There was no rural and urban divide this time around. The Mahayuti, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party swept all parts of the state, including western Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidarbha, North Maharashtra and Konkan.
This sentiment was reflected by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Ajit Pawar said, "We got success in all the regions of the state, which was not the case in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, we only managed to win a lone seat in the Marathwada region, but this time it is not the case."
It was a Mahayuti tsunami as Congress heavyweights including Balasaheb Thorat had to bite the dust. Thorat, who was elected for eight successive times from the Sangamnagar constituency, lost in the polls. He was defeated by Shiv Sena nominee Amol Khatal. Sangamner is in Ahmednagar district and it is a rural area and there too it was the Mahayuti, which was successful. In Kopargoan Assembly seat, which also comes in the Ahmednagar district, it was the NCP nominee Ashutosh Kale, who won by a margin of 1,24,624 votes.
Western Maharashtra, which is a sugar belt, was known as a stronghold of the undivided Nationalist Congress Party and its founder Sharad Pawar. However, once again in this elections, it was Ajit Pawar who trumped his uncle Sharad Pawar and the NCP got enormous success in the region.
For example, in Ambegoan Assembly seats in the Pune district, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nominee Dilip Walse-Patil, a former Maharashtra Speaker, won with a comfortable margin. Walse-Patil defeated NCP (SP) nominee Devdatta Nikam.
In the Konkan region, which was a traditional bastion of the undivided Shiv Sena, it was the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who emerged triumphant. Not only that but the BJP and the NCP also managed to retain their seats in the Konkan region. For example, NCP leader Aditi Tatkare managed to retained her Srivardhan seat in the Raigad district.
In Kudal Assembly seat, Nilesh Rane, son of former Maharashtra Chief Miister Narayan Rane, won on a Shiv Sena ticket. Nilesh Rane, won by a margin of 8176 votes defeating his rival Vaibhav Naik, who was contesting on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket.
In the other three prominent regions, Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra, the picture was similar. In Vidarbha, the Congress was almost wiped out and it was the BJP who emerged triumphant.
In Mumbai, the state's capital and the financial capital of India, it was the Mahayuti, who stamped their authority. For example, in the Kandivili East seat, BJP nominee Atul Bhatkhalkar won the seat by a margin of 83,593 votes.
In neighboring Thane, another prominent city, it was the Mahayuti all over. Same was the case in Pune city. Sitting MLA Sunil Kamble retained his Pune Cantonment seat, which has diverse voters.
