Maharashtra election results: Will hung assembly shake up state politics?

 

Vote counting has commenced for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) set to announce the final results later this evening. In Maharashtra, the electoral battle involves 288 assembly seats contested by two major alliances: the BJP-led Mahayuti and the Congress-led Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA). Key candidates in the Mahayuti include the current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, among others. On the other hand, the MVA's key candidates include Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Yugendra Pawar, and Aditya Thackeray, among others.  Voting Results of Maharashtra Election 2024 

 

Meanwhile, in Jharkhand’s 81-seat assembly, the contest is between the INDIA alliance and the opposition BJP. The current Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, is aiming to retain power. Key candidates from the INDIA bloc include Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren, and his brother Basant Soren. Notable candidates from the opposition BJP include former Chief Ministers Babulal Marandi and Champai Soren, as well as Geeta Koda, among others.

 

Exit polls and early trends in Jharkhand suggest a majority for the BJP-led alliance. However, in Maharashtra, no alliance is projected to secure a clear majority, as per the majority of exit polls, which could lead to the formation of a hung assembly in the state.

 

What is a hung assembly? How is a government formed in such a situation?

 

When no political party or alliance secures an absolute majority, the situation is referred to as a hung parliament. In such cases, no single party can independently form a government without seeking support from other political parties.

 

The Governor invites the leader of the largest party to attempt forming a government, granting them a period — usually 10 days — to prove their majority in the legislature. If the party fails to secure the required majority within this timeframe, the Governor dissolves the assembly and calls for fresh elections.

 

To form a government despite lacking a majority, a party or alliance may seek external support from another political party. In this arrangement, the supporting party does not usually participate in the government or hold ministerial positions. However, such governments are often unstable, as the supporting party is not bound by a formal commitment to sustain the government.

 

What is a minority government?

 

A minority government is one that lacks an absolute majority, making it reliant on the support of non-government parties to pass legislation. In some cases, minority governments have survived no-confidence votes because MPs abstained, indirectly preventing their defeat. However, such governments rarely serve their full term in office.