Maharashtra election results: Fearing poaching, MVA asks winners to reach Mumbai by tonight

The counting of votes has begun and later today, Maharashtra election result 2024 will be declared, making it clear who will form the new government in the state. The key contest in Maharashtra is between the two alliances - Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Mahayuti, with exit polls predicting a win for MVA.

With an intensely tense political environment in Maharashtra, MVA, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP), has directed all its winning candidates to be present in Mumbai by on Saturday (November 23), soon after the poll results are declared.

MVA held an online meeting on Friday during which it directed all its winning candidates to head to Mumbai directly, avoiding any victory procession in their respective constituencies.

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Maharashtra Congress has also separately given orders that all its winning candidates should remain in Mumbai by Saturday night. “Formation of the government is a priority and celebrations can be arranged later,” a party leader was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Poaching fear? MVA plans to flow winning candidates out of Maharashtra

According to a report by The Economic Times, MVA is planning to fly its MLAs to a secure location to avoid poaching.

On Thursday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat and NCP (SP) Maharashtra president Jayant Patil met at a a suburban hotel where they discussed ways to keep their flock together

“There is a plan to get all our MLAs flown out of Maharashtra by Saturday night, so that they are not poached. We believe that the MVA will come to power on its own or it will be a close contest,” the report quoted a Congress leader as saying.

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Where will MVA winning candidates be taken to?

The Congress leader said that the destination where the winning candidates will be flown to is not yet known. “It will be to a Congress-ruled state, probably Karnataka or Telangana. We will make a final decision on flying out around Saturday evening after seeing the results,” he was quoted as saying.

MVA plans to reach out to independents, rebel candidates

During the meeting on Thursday, Raut, Thorat, and Patil, also discussed reaching out to independents and other rebels who are likely to win the polls so that they too could be herded out along with the winning candidates of MVA.

Don’t trust any exit poll: MVA to candidates

During the online meeting on Friday, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar asked MVA candidates not to trust any exit poll. “He asked the candidates to not give attention to the exit polls and said that the MVA is poised to win 157 to 162 seats,” the IE report quoted a leader from the NCP-SP as saying.

Also Read: 2024 Assembly Election Results Live: First trends are in, Mahayuti takes early lead in Maharashtra

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray claimed that MVA would secure 160 seats, MPCC president Nana Patole was confident of 150 to 155 seats.

According to a report by ToI, sources in Congress said an internal survey revealed that MVA would win 158 seats, while Mahayuti would get 113. The survey stated that BJP would emerge as the single-largest party with 67 seats.

With inputs from agencies.