The stakes have never been higher in Maharashtra and the BJP will hope that its huge gamble of splitting ties with its natural and old saffron ally, the Shiv Sena, pay off.
The exit polls predict the BJP as being the single largest party but most of them show it falling short of the magical figure of 145, necessary to come to power. As television crew line up outside the party headquarters in Nariman Point in south Mumbai, there is an air of confidence and celebration in the BJP camp. The party expects 150 seats on its own. Counting has begun and party leaders have started to trickle to the office.
BJP has lined up big celebrations. The street is decorated with BJP colours.
The screen outside the BJP office has started ticking, with the BJP and its allies leading on around two dozen seats already. The Sena is leading on 12, while the Congress and NCP, three each.
"We are making it. The government is ours, that is for certain," Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, BJP vice president, said.
Party spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said the party is confident of securing 150 plus seats.
With the Congress and the NCP preventing the BJP from a free run, questions arise if the BJP will win enough seats to form the government on its own.
The BJP is now leading on 110 seats and if trends continue, it might just fall short of the 145 mark. The Sena is second with 57 seats.
This would mean the BJP would need other parties to form a government. But will that be the Sena? The mood in the BJP camp has suddenly changed at the prospect of alliances.
The BJP was hoping to sail through on its own.
Significantly, former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, veteran leader Eknath Khadse, also a CM aspirant, is trailing from Muktainagar.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the party will start analysing the numbers only after 11 am.
