- Congress and its allies are leading in 55 seats in the state elections.
- Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party won state elections in Haryana in October.
- He lost the majority in the parliamentary elections that took place in April and June.
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and its allies are set to return to power in the country’s richest state, television channels reported on Saturday, a boost for the Hindu nationalist leader after a disappointing general election.
In Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital Mumbai, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayoti Alliance led by winning 221 of the 288 seats.
Local media reported that the opposition Congress Party and its allies lead 55 seats in the state elections.
“The Haitian government (…) has achieved resounding and undisputed success,” Eknath Shinde, the state’s chief minister, said on the social media platform X.
Modi lost his majority in parliamentary elections held between April and June, and was forced to rely on fickle allies to form the government.
Last month, his party won state elections in the northern state of Haryana.
Victories in state elections help political parties increase their numbers in the upper house of parliament, which is essential for decision-making.
In the mining-rich eastern state of Jharkhand, the ruling regional party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, allied with the Congress-led opposition, is leading it to regain control by defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies, media reported.
Political parties in both states have put forward a range of measures that they say will benefit farmers and women, both considered crucial electoral blocs.
Results from Maharashtra and Jharkhand are expected later on Saturday.