INDIA alliance make big gains in Maharashtra, leads on 27 seats; NDA trails with 19
These trends also suggest that the sympathy of people lies with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, and not with the breakaway factions of their parties
The early trends emerging from Maharashtra, a key state that sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, suggest a neck and neck fight between the ruling Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) led by the Congress.
The MVA, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), and NCP (Sharad Pawar) is leading on 27 seats, while the Mahayuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde camp) and NCP (Ajit Pawar), is leading on 19 seats, followed by the Independents on 2. Supriya Sule of NCP (Sharad Pawar) is leading on the prestigious seat of Baramati against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar of NCP (Ajit Pawar).
Among the MVA partners, Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav) and NCP (Sharad Pawar), all are leading on 9 Lok Sabha seats each. Similarly, among the Mahayuti partners, BJP is leading on 15 seats, followed by Shiv Sena (Shinde) on 4 seats. Significantly, the NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction is not leading on any of the seats.
These trends also suggest that the people of Maharashtra have rejected the BJP’s move to cause a split in two major political forces – Shiv Sena and NCP, and their sympathies lie with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, and not their breakaway factions.
Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal are leading from Nagpur and Mumbai North constituencies, respectively. Firebrand BJP leader Navneet Rana is trailing from Amravati constituency. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde is leading from Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Interestingly, Independent candidate Vishal Patil is leading from Sangli Lok Sabha seat. He is the grandson of Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil.
According to early trends, the Mahayuti alliance is leading in five out of the six parliamentary constituencies in Mumbai. The MVA is leading in the remaining one seat.