The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged the single largest party in the trends in the counting or votes for the Maharashtra assembly polls, according to television reports. However, the trends show it falling short of a majority and needing an ally to form the government.
State BJP President Devendra Fadnavis has already signalled overtures to its former ally the Shiv Sena by saying, " The Shiv Sena is not our political rival."
The BJP was leading in 112 of the 263 seats in which trends were reported. The Shiv Sena followed second with leads in 59 seats. The Congress was third with leads in 49 seats but the Nationalist Congress Party followed close behind with leads in 43 seats. Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was not leading in a single seat.
The sundering of long held alliances just three weeks before the polls made the Maharashtra polls a five-way contest.
The Shiv Sena had run a bitter campaign against the BJP in the run up to the elections, accusing it of betrayal for snapping the 25 year old alliance. Its campaign tried to polarise the Marathi vote in the state in its favour.
However, in the last two days, the Shiv Sena hinted it was open to a post-poll tie up with its editorial in the Saamna on Friday saying “ there is no need to have bitterness anymore.”
The Congress, which has lost power only once in Maharashtra, is heading for a rout. The NCP has also taken a major hit but has managed to retain almost as many seats as the Congress according to the trends.
Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena which was reduced to a non-entity in the Lok Sabha polls face a test of its relevance.
