The Mahayuti alliance is all set to return to power in Maharashtra. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his gratitude to the voters for a decisive victory. “This is a landslide victory. Our schemes turned common man into superman. People rejected politics of hate,” said Shinde while thanking a diverse group of voters, ranging from farmers to senior citizens.

Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde commented that “people have chosen development. Leaders associated with Mayayuti have been lauding the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ and feel it has proved to be a gamechanger.

“Ek hai toh safe hai,” remarked Devendra Fadnavis, reacting to the landslide victory of Mahayuti. Prior to the elections, the fractured state of Shiv Sena had raised doubts about who would secure a majority. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena was looking to climb the political ladder as it had a strong backing from Sharad Pawar’s NCP and the Congress, but their performance began to falter early in the day.

Almost all the exit polls— five out of eight—had predicted a clean sweep for the ruling Mahayuti. However, people also say the result was in line with their expectations. “What was not expected was the big win for Ajit Pawar (NCP). We know that

Mahayuti has the backing of Modi, so there’s no point debating it further. It’s a little disheartening that we are still voting keeping in mind the Centre,” said Dependra Sulve, a resident of Dadar.

“It’s not just about the numbers but also about ideologies,” says Vishnu Prabhakar, another resident. “Politicians don’t govern the state; ideologies do. When Uddhav Thackeray joined hands with the Congress, it became clear that his faction would face political devastation,” he adds.

The political turmoil that Maharashtra experienced on October 21, 2019, left people wary. With both factions claiming to inherit Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy, the political landscape became entangled in ‘Parivarvaad’ during the Vidhan Sabha election held on November 20, 2024. Ajit Pawar distanced himself from his uncle and joined forces with the Mahayuti alliance. Similar narratives were witnessed across many constituencies in Maharashtra.

Now that the picture is clear with Mahayuti’s big win, the next fight is likely to be for the chief minister’s post. Shinde, while lauding, party workers after the win, said that there would be deliberations over who would become the chief minister. With the vote share of BJP alone standing at 130 seats, it remains to be seen who will become the next chief minister.