 "Exit polls give BJP edge in Maharashtra assembly elections")
Exit polls by various TV channels have given BJP an upper hand. At the same time, they have predicted the rout of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party which ruled the state for 15 years.
Exit poll by Chanakya has predicted a record 151 seats while Shiv Sena 71 seats. This indicates that BJP will be in position to form the next government on its own without even going back to its former ally, Shiv Sena. On the other hand, Congress will get 27 seats, while 28 will go to NCP and 11 to others.
Other surveys are giving BJP 124-134 seats, still short of 11 to cross the magic figure of 145 seats required for a simple majority in the state assembly. These surveys were conducted based on an average 55% polling reported till 5 pm in the state.
In Maharashtra, two alliances - the BJP-Shiv Sena and the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party - came apart over seat sharing days before voting, making this a four-cornered contest with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Narvnirman Sena or MNS providing a fifth.
BJP, which broke the 25-year-old alliance with Shiv Sena banked on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought vote in his name. Modi addressed a record 27 rallies notwithstanding scathing attack by BJP's former ally Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for giving too much of importance to the state poll instead of focusing on national security.
This apart, Modi's blue eyed boy and party president Amit Shah concentrated on the effective implementation of poll strategy especially when state leaders were in the electoral fray.
BJP succeeded to and effectively sold his development agenda. Further, BJP appealed to the voters that party ruling at the Centre if elected to the power in the state the pace of development will be faster in Maharashtra.
Modi called on the electorate to choose an honest and stable government. Moreover, Modi needs big wins in today's elections to up his government's numbers in the Rajya Sabha to be able to push reforms through Parliament.
The BJP-led NDA is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha, whose composition is based on seats won in regional assemblies.
| Chanakya | ||||
| BJP | Shiv Sena | Congress | NCP | Others |
| 151 | 71 | 27 | 28 | 11 |
| India TV C Voter | ||||
| BJP | Shiv Sena | Congress | NCP | Others |
| 124-134 | 51-61 | 38-48 | 31-41 | - |
| Times Now | ||||
| BJP | Shiv Sena | Congress | NCP | MNS |
| 129 | 56 | 43 | 36 | 12 |
| ABP News | |||||
| BJP | Shiv Sena | Congress | NCP | MNS | Others |
| 127 | 77 | 40 | 34 | 5 | 5 |