Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: A day after the Maharashtra assembly polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday claimed the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will win 160 to 165 seats out of the total 288 and provide a stable government in the state.
The Rajya Sabha member also said the MVA leaders will be meeting on Thursday, ahead of the counting of votes which will take place on Saturday.
After the polling concluded on Wednesday, most exit polls predicted victory for the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra while some gave an edge to the MVA coalition in the western state.
"We and our allies, including smaller parties like the PWP, Samajwadi Party, the Left parties are crossing the majority mark. We are winning 160-165 seats. There will be a stable government in the state. I can say it very confidently," Raut told reporters.
The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP).
The ruling Mahayuti consists of the BJP, CM Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and NCP of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
While the Mahayuti alliance is making a determined bid to retain power, the opposition MVA coalition is hoping to continue its good showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the state.
An estimated 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Maharashtra assembly elections on Wednesday, as per the provisional figures, compared to 61.74 per cent in the 2019 state polls.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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