Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party and its allies were set to return to power in the nation's richest state, television channels reported on Saturday, a boost for the Hindu-nationalist leader after a disappointing general election.

The vote counting for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections began at 8 AM on Saturday, November 23. Maharashtra held a single-phase election across all 288 seats, while Jharkhand, with 81 seats,

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party is headed for a victory in state elections in politically significant Maharashtra while the opposition won mineral-rich Jharkhand state

In Jharkhand, the contest between the JMM and BJP is intensifying, with JMM accusing the BJP of stationing electronic experts near counting centers and calling for a ban on internet services and gadgets within a two-kilometer radius.

The Mahayuti alliance led by Mr Modi’s BJP is on course to win 221 of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, home to India’s financial and entertainment capital Mumbai. The BJP alone is set to take more than 100 seats.

The NDA is all set to win Maharashtra against the INDIA bloc as the saffron party logs its best-ever electoral performance in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed heartfelt gratitude after the result of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election settled - the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance sealed a thumping victory over the Congress' Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine.