One-and-a-half months after an interesting day of counting of votes for the Haryana Assembly elections which ultimately retained the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for a third straight term with initial trends showing a massive lead by Congress, another season of a bitterly contested election, in Maharashtra, and Jharkhand, as well as bypolls in Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, and Assembly segments in Uttar Pradesh, will conclude on Saturday afternoon with the declaration of results.

While Wayanad is set to pave the way for Congress candidate Priyanka Gandhi to Lok Sabha who shall join her brother Rahul and mother Sonia in the Parliament, stakes are high for BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and Congress-led INDIA bloc in both states, as well as a battle of prestige in the by-polls of Punjab, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and a crucial one in Uttar Pradesh, post the BJP’s dismal performance in this year’s General Elections.

The results of Uttar Pradesh by-polls will be a huge contributing factor in setting a narrative for the next Assembly polls in the state, due in 2027. By-elections to 48 Assemblies constituencies and two Parliamentary constituencies spread across 15 states were also held simultaneously. The Elections for the 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly took place on November 13 and 20, while Maharashtra, which has 288 Assembly seats, went to polls in a single phase on November 20.

But in Maharashtra fissures have emerged within the ruling BJP Shiv Sena combine Mahayuti and the Opposition Congress, Shiv Sena (Udhhav) Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as who will head the next government with several contenders for the chief minister’s post currently held by Shiv Sena’s breakaway faction Eknath Shinde who toppled Congress and NCP backed Uddhav Thackeray regime. 

According to media reports from Mumbai, Maharashtra Congress remarks that voting trends suggest the Congress will get the maximum number of seats has not gone down well with alliance Shiv Sena (UBT), whose tall leader Sanjay Raut insisted the chief ministerial face will be decided by all alliance partners jointly once the MVA secures majority. The Rajya Sabha MP said if the Congress high command has told State Congress chief Nana Patole that he will be the Chief Ministerial face then the national party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge, and its top leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should announce the same.

On the MahaYuti side, Shiv Sena MLA and party spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said the Assembly elections were contested with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the face. "Voters have shown their preference for Shinde through voting. I think it is Shinde’s right (to be the next CM) and we are confident that he will be the next CM," Shirsat said. However, BJP leader Pravin Darekar batted for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the top post.

"I think if anyone from the BJP is becoming the CM then it will be Devendra Fadnavis," he said. On the other hand another partner NCP advocated for their party chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar for the coveted job.

Down South, elaborate arrangements have been made for the counting of votes in the three bypolls in the state, Wayanad Lok Sabha and the Palakkad and Chelakkara Assembly seats. Wayanad seat attracted national attention due to the electoral debut of Priyanka Gandhi, who is contesting against Communist Party of India (CPI) veteran Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas.

The UP by-elections are seen as a litmus test for the BJP’s organisational discipline and electoral strategy. While the party hopes for favourable results, senior leaders are bracing for potential fallout if outcomes fall short of expectations.

For by-polls to Punjab’s four Assembly seats, Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and BJP are looking to register victories in these seats.

Congress on Friday also appointed observers for Maharashtra and Jharkhand to oversee the post-election scenarios. Senior party leaders Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and G Parameshwara will be AICC observers to Maharashtra, while Tariq Anwar, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Krishna Allavuru have been named observers for Jharkhand.