MUMBAI: Exit polls on Saturday predicted that the BJP-led
NDA
, despite the split in
Shiv Sena
and
NCP
and aligning with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, will not touch the tally of 41 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra that it won in 2019. However, the exit polls for Maharashtra stand divided on the number of seats the governing
Mahayuti
will win as against MVA. While exit polls from regional media channels predicted a higher number of seats for
MVA
, those from the national media predicted that Mahayuti would do better than MVA.
Regional channels predicted Mahayuti would win 22-23 seats compared to MVA bagging 24-26. The prediction for BJP is 13-18, Shinde Sena 4-6, Ajit Pawar’s NC-2, Thackeray Sena 9-14,
Congress
3-8, NCP (SP) 4-6, and Independents 1. National polls, meanwhile, predicted Mahayuti would bag 30-35 seats, and MVA 15-18 seats.
BJP Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar said he “principally does not comment on exit polls” but “for Mumbai I am confident we shall win all six seats and I am sure it could be 4-2 seats.”
Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP rejected the outcome of the exit polls on the grounds it was unrealistic.”We are sure the INDIA bloc will win at least 300 seats at the national level and more than 30 seats in Maharashtra. People of Maharashtra have faith in MVA leaders, and under such circumstances, we expect MVA will cross the 30 mark in Maharashtra,” Congress’ Nana Patole told TOI.
NCP (SP) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said, “It appears the exit polls are unrealistic as we are expecting MVA will win at least 35 seats.”
