The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) clinched a resounding victory in Maharashtra, solidifying its dominance in the state assembly elections. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress coalition retained power with a commanding second-term win.

In Maharashtra, the BJP emerged as the largest party, winning 132 seats. The Mahayuti alliance—which includes the BJP, Ajit Pawar's NCP faction, and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena—swept the polls, securing 233 of the 288 assembly seats and far surpassing the majority mark of 145. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a crushing defeat, managing just 49 seats.

At a celebratory press conference, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, flanked by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, credited the victory to the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a women-centric welfare initiative hailed as a "game changer."

Prominent winners included CM Eknath Shinde in Kopri-Pachpakhadi, Fadnavis in Nagpur South West, and Ajit Pawar in Baramati. Aaditya Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) retained Worli, while Congress state chief Nana Patole narrowly won Sakoli.

In Jharkhand, the Hemant Soren-led JMM-Congress-RJD alliance secured 56 out of 81 seats, well above the majority mark of 41. Chief Minister Hemant Soren retained his Barhait seat, while his wife, Kalpana Soren, won Gandey. The BJP trailed with 24 seats. Former CM Champai Soren, who defected to the BJP, won Seraikela by 20,000 votes.

National Bypolls and Parliamentary Results

In the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her electoral debut with a landslide victory, securing over 4 lakh votes. Her triumph marked a significant morale boost for the party in Kerala. Meanwhile, Congress also reclaimed the Nanded parliamentary seat, with Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao emerging victorious.

Bypoll Highlights Across States

- Uttar Pradesh: BJP won six of nine seats, with the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal claiming two and one, respectively.

- Uttarakhand: BJP retained the Kedarnath assembly seat.

- Kerala: Congress took Palakkad, while CPI(M) secured Chelakkara.

- Bihar: NDA claimed three out of four seats, with Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) taking one.

- West Bengal: Trinamool Congress swept all six seats.

- Punjab: Aam Aadmi Party won three seats, and Congress took one.

- Rajasthan: BJP dominated with five seats, while Congress and Bharat Adivasi Party won one each.

- Karnataka: Congress swept all three contested seats-- Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna.

This wave of victories underscores the shifting political landscape across India, with the NDA consolidating power in key states while regional and opposition parties put up a spirited fight in others.