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.

In the 81-seat Jharkhand assembly, Chief Minister Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is leading in 30 seats while its ally Congress in 14. The opposition BJP is ahead in 27 seats while the AJSU Party, LJP (Ram Vilas) and JD (U) were ahead in one seat each in the tribal-dominated state.

Pro-incumbency voting has emerged as a recurring trend in recent state elections, from MP to Haryana and now Maharashtra

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

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.