NAGPUR: While the electoral battle was primarily a Mahayuti versus Maha Vikas Aghadi contest, it was the head-to-head fights between BJP and Congress in 75 constituencies that shaped the larger outcome. BJP emerged victorious in 65 seats of these, leaving Congress with a mere 10.
The assembly election, coming months after the Lok Sabha polls in which Congress staged an impressive comeback, winning 17 of 48 seats – its best performance in a decade, saw BJP make a stunning recovery. It clinched 132 of the 288 seats, its highest-ever tally in Maharashtra, surpassing previous records of 122 in 2014 and 105 in 2019. Congress plummeted to its worst-ever performance, winning only 15, a steep decline from 44 in 2019 and 42 in 2014.
BJP’s triumph can be attributed to a coordinated campaign in which its state and central brass worked in tandem. While deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and state unit chief Chandrashekar Bawankule worked across regions, providing support to every candidate, seasoned campaigners like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari and Yogi Adityanath provided the necessary impetus to counter anti-incumbency.
RSS played a key role, mobilising grassroots support through an extensive campaign involving over 60,000 meetings statewide. This effort helped consolidate votes and neutralise caste-based strategies employed by the opposition. BJP also benefited from its well-organised campaign machinery, which ensured effective candidate selection, voter outreach, and seamless coordination with allies.
Congress’s campaign was marred by infighting, lack of grassroots mobilisation, and an inability to project a credible leadership figure. Even veterans like Balasaheb Thorat and Prithviraj Chavan lost their seats. Of the 75 face-offs with BJP, Congress managed to win only 10 seats, mostly in areas with significant minority populations or where local netas had a stronghold. In the Konkan region, it has no MLAs left; in north Maharashtra, western Maharashtra and Marathwada, it now has one each. State Congress chief Nana Patole himself barely managed to retain his Sakoli seat, winning by a margin of 208 votes.