Mumbai/Ranchi/IBNS: Counting of votes in the highly crucial state of Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, as well as other by-polls in several states will begin at 8 am on Saturday.

In Maharashtra, the big fight is between the NDA-led Mahayuti vs the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance while in Jharkhand, Hemanth Soren's JMM along with its allies will take on the NDA.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde faction and Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar, will taste victory in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, five out of nine exit polls predicted on Wednesday evening, as voting concluded in one of the most politically crucial states.

Meanwhile, three exit polls predicted a hung Assembly as they believe no single party will be able to secure a majority to form the next government.

However, an aggregate of these exit polls indicates favourable conditions for the NDA while they predicted a close fight in Jharkhand.

An average of all exit polls gave the ruling alliance 150 seats, which is eight  more than the majority needed in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. The majority mark in the assembly stands at 145.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi will bag 125 seats while non-aligned parties and independents will get 13, as per the pollsters.

Uddhav Thackeray, who lost his chief ministerial position due to a split in his party in 2022, is eyeing to make a comeback in this election with support from its partners.

His key rival Eknath Shinde gained popularity due to the welfare measures of the Mahayuti government. There is also a seeming clash over who and which faction of Shiv Sena is the true inheritor of Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy.

Maharashtra voted to elect new Assembly earlier this week. Photo Courtesy: PIB

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also witnessed a split in the party with Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit rebelling and joining the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

In Jharkhand, the NDA could fall short of gaining the magic figure of 41, ending up with just 39 seats, an aggregate of eight exit polls predicted.

The INDIA alliance will be close behind with 38 seats.

Jharkhand has also seen several political turmoil with Chief Minister Hemant Soren going to jail over corruption charges.

The ruling JMM-led alliance is banking on its work in 5 years while the NDA is hopeful of getting people's support based on its promises and the Centre's credentials.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Hemant Soren, wife Kalpana Soren, and sister-in-law Sita Soren from the JMM. Key BJP leaders include former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto (JMM), AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto, and Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri.

Besides these two states, another headline-grabbing vote count would be in Kerala's Wayanad,  where Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is contesting the Lok Sabha byelection on the same seat that her brother Rahul Gandhi represented before he won this time from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli.