NEW DELHI: The BJP is all set to emerge as the biggest winner in Maharashtra leading in 124 seats in the state with an outstanding strike rate of over 86%. If the BJP manages to hold on to these numbers it will be its best-ever performance in the state. The BJP leads at present is only 19 less than the majority mark of 145 in the 288-member assembly.
The BJP had won 122 seats in 2014 and 105 in 2019.
The extent of BJP's dominance in this election can be gauged by the fact that the saffron party's projected score is more than double the tally of the opposition's MVA, which includes the Congress, Shiv Sena(UBT) and NCP(SP). Even within the ruling Mahayuti, the BJP has leads in more seats than the combined tally of its allies - the Shiv Sena and the NCP.
The BJP's strike rate is way ahead of all the other five players in the fray, including two of its allies. While the Shiv Sena is ahead in 56 of the 81 seats it contested, the NCP is leading in 38 out of 59 seats. In the opposition bloc, all the three allies - the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) have been decimated. Sharad Pawar, who has hinted that this would be his last elections, is headed for his worst-ever performance. His party is leading in only 15 seats.
The Congress is also heading towards a disastrous show with leads in only 19 seats. This is less than half of its 2019 tally of 44 seats. The grand old party, which had surprised everyone, including itself, by emerging as the biggest winner in the state in Lok Sabha elections, may end up at the bottom of the ladder in the state assembly.
The BJP's thumping victory in Maharashtra also paves the way for the return of its chief minister in the state after five years. In 2019, the BJP had emerged as the single largest party with 105 seats but could not form the government as its pre-poll ally Shiv Sena ditched the NDA and crossed over to the opposition side to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. However, Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022 to split the Shiv Sena and oust the MVA government. The BJP, despite being the senior partner, gave the top post to Shinde. Now, with this verdict, the saffron party will be in a strong position to reclaim the top post.
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