Initial leads after counting began to call the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls show the Bharatiya Janata Party inching ahead of the rest, making decisive inroads into incumbent Congress’ strongholds.
Trends from Maharashtra show the BJP was ahead in more than half the seats. Shiv Sena was struggling at a distant second. BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, "We are confident of getting a clear majority. We will also see some major upsets." The NCP looks to be decimated.
In Haryana, the BJP is already set to form the government on its own, leading in over half the seats in the 90-member Assembly.
Upbeat over exit poll predictions that the BJP would emerge the single largest party in Maharashtra and Haryana, the saffron party is confident that Sunday’s results of the Assembly elections will prove that its “star campaigner” Narendra Modi’s charisma is still strong and that he is a lucky icon for the party.
High voter turnouts in both states, especially in Haryana which was a record, has brought cheer to BJP poll managers, who are confident that the BJP will no more play second fiddle in either state and party president Amit Shah’s gamble to go it alone will pay off handsomely.
The counting of votes for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly and 90-member Haryana Assembly began at 8 am. Polling took place on October 15. Haryana, recorded its highest-ever turnout of 76.54 per cent while Maharashtra recorded 63.13 per cent polling. Altogether, 63.13 per cent voters voted in the Assembly polls.
Polling was also held for the Beed Lok Sabha bypoll on October 15.
BJP Maharashtra unit chief Devendra Fadnavis is the front-runner for becoming the chief ministerial candidate of his party while the names of Eknath Khadse, Vinod Tawde, Sudhir Mungantiwar and the late Gopinath Munde’s daughter Pankaja are also doing the rounds for the top post.
Speculation is rife that a "dark horse" could emerge as the final candidate, especially in Haryana. The BJP parliamentary board is likely to meet Sunday to discuss the issue if the party gets a clear majority.
In Maharashtra, while the BJP fielded 257 candidates, leaving the rest to its allies, the Shiv Sena contested 286 seats, the Congress 288 and NCP 286. Of the 288 constituencies, including 36 constituencies in Mumbai, 234 are general, 29 reserved for Scheduled Castes and 25 for Scheduled Tribes.
In Haryana, unlike in the recent past when the main contest used to be between the Congress and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), this time a number of regional players have thrown their hats in the ring.
The ruling Congress is eyeing a third successive win, banking mainly on the development card, while the INLD is seeking to return to power after a hiatus of a decade, banking on the charisma of its supremo, Om Prakash Chautala, and a consolidation of the Jat vote.
Key aspirants whose fate would be decided include chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, former CM Om Parkash Chautala’s son Abhay, daughter-in-law Naina and grandson Dushyant (INLD), former MP and HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi, his wife Renuka and elder brother and former deputy CM Chander Mohan.
Key BJP leaders whose fate will be decided include Captain Abhimanyu, who is also a contender for CM, and party state unit chief Ram Bilas Sharma, another contender for the top post.
Former CM Bansi Lal’s son the former BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra, daughter-in-law (the late Surender Singh’s wife) and Haryana minister Kiran Chaudhary and Bansi Lal’s son-in-law Sombir Singh are contesting as Congress candidates from Badhra, Tosham and Loharu segments in Bhiwani district, respectively.
In the 2009 Assembly elections, the Congress had won 40 seats, the INLD 31, BJP four, HJC-BL six, SAD and BSP one each and Independents seven.
The Congress had failed to get the required majority of 45 in the 2009 Assembly polls, but Bhupinder Singh Hooda managed to form government after five Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) MLAs deserted their party and merged with the Congress, which also got the support of seven Independents and the lone BSP member.