Big names that fell short: Shockers from Jharkhand & Maha poll results

As the Assembly election results for Maharashtra and Jharkhand are declared almost that proved to be lucky for most of the key candidates, it saw several high-profile candidates losing their seats, reflecting significant shifts in voter preferences and changing political dynamics. Here’s a look at the key candidates who faced defeat and the constituencies that shaped the election outcomes.

 

Maharashtra: A battle of heavyweights

 

The Maharashtra Assembly elections witnessed some surprising results, with seasoned politicians and prominent leaders failing to secure their seats:

 

Balasheb Thorat (Indian National Congress, Sangamner)

A senior Congress leader, Thorat secured 101,826 votes, but lost to Amol Dhondiba Khatal of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction).

 

Milind Deora (Shiv Sena, Shinde faction, Worli)

A former Union Minister, Deora collected 54,523 votes but was defeated by Uddhav Thackeray, showcasing the Thackeray camp’s dominance.

 

Nawab Malik (Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar faction, Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar)

 

Malik, a prominent NCP leader, managed only 15,501 votes, losing to Abu Asim Azmi, who secured 54,780 votes.

 

Shaina NC (Shiv Sena, Shinde faction, Mumbai Devi)

Shaina NC received 40,146 votes but was defeated by Congress’s Amin Patil, who amassed 74,990 votes.

 

Zeeshan Siddiqui (Nationalist Congress Party, Ajit Pawar faction, Bandra East)

Siddiqui collected 46,343 votes but lost to Varun Satish Sardesai of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), who got 57,708 votes.

 

Amit Thackeray (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Mahim)

The son of Raj Thackeray, Amit managed 33,062 votes but was defeated by Mahesh Baliram Sawant of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), who secured 50,213 votes.

 

Jharkhand: Shifts in power dynamics

 

In Jharkhand, key contests saw major names falling short, pointing to a realignment of voter preferences:

 

Ajoy Kumar (Indian National Congress, Jamshedpur East)

Kumar, a prominent Congress leader, collected 64,320 votes but was defeated by BJP’s Purnima Sahu.

 

Geeta Koda (Bharatiya Janata Party, Jagannathpur)

The BJP leader garnered 49,682 votes but lost to Congress candidate Sonaram Sinku, who secured 57,065 votes.

 

Political implications of the poll results

 

The results in Maharashtra highlight the fragmentation within Shiv Sena and NCP and the challenge for Congress to maintain its relevance in the state. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the Congress appears to have made significant inroads against the BJP, signalling a possible resurgence in the state.