Preliminary trends indicate BJP-Sena sweeping to power again in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Going by the Exit poll predictions, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena in a landslide win are tipped to retain power in Maharashtra on October 24. Most of the opinion polls predict 185 to 230 seats for the BJP-Sena alliance, while the opposition Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are likely to get anywhere between 55 to 88 seats, with the Other parties getting anywhere between 1 to 21 seats. The 2019 poll predictions suggest that the ruling BJP-Sena might just be able to keep its claim of “Aab Ki Bar 220 Ke Par”.

As per the Election Commission of India (ECI) the tentative voter turnout till 6 pm on Monday evening was around 60.5 percent. According to sources in the ECI, in some constituencies the voting was still in progress as those who had queued up to cast their vote before the 6 pm official deadline were being allowed the cast their vote. Hence the final tentative voting percentage is likely to go up, sources in the ECI added.

If the BJP-Sena is able to breach that 220 mark, it will be for the first time that a non-Congress government will retain power with a absolute thumping majority since 1972 assembly elections. Past poll records show that the undivided Congress had won 215 seats in 1962, 203 seats in 1967 and 222 seats in 1972 assembly elections.

As per the India Today-Axis Exit poll have predicted the BJP-Sena Maha-Yuti to win anywhere between 166 to 194 seats. While the opposition Congress-NCP Maha-Aghadi is likely to win anywhere between 72 to 90 seats, and Others anywhere between 22 to 34 seats out of the total 288 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

On the other hand, the News 18-Ipsos Exit poll predicts a massive landslide win for the BJP-Sena. The saffron alliance together is predicted to win 243 seats, of which BJP is expected to win 141 seats and the Sena 102 seats. While the Congress is expected to win 17 and its ally the NCP 22 seats, put together they are expected to win 39 seats. While, the Other parties are expected to win just 1 seat that is likely to be won by MIM.

The ABP-CVoter Exit Poll again predicts a massive win for the BJP-Sena alliance. As per its Exit poll predictions based on voter turnout till 3 pm, predicts the BJP-Sena alliance to win 200 plus seats, while the Congress-NCP alliance is expected to win 69 seats, while Others are expected to win 15 seats.

The Times Now Exit poll predicts the BJP-Sena alliance to win 230 seats, 48 seats for the Congress-NCP alliance and 10 seats for the Other parties. Its rival, the Republic Tv – Jan Ki Baat Exit poll predicts the BJP-Sena to win anywhere between 216 to 230 seats, the Congress-NCP to get anywhere between 50 to 59 seats and 8 to 12 seats for the Other political parties.

In the 2014 assembly elections, the BJP had won 123 seats, the Sena 63 seats, the Congress 42, NCP 41, Independent’s 7, PWP-I 3, BVA 3, MIM 2, BBM 1, RSP 1, CPI-M 1 and MNS 1. The Sena joined the BJP led government almost a month later before the first winter session of the state legislature in December 2014.