Several exit polls on Wednesday predicted a narrow victory for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance in the Maharashtra Assembly election and a close contest in the Jharkhand election.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti may win 150 seats, while the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi may win 125 seats, according to an average of exit poll predictions compiled by NDTV. A party or coalition needs to win 145 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.
The Mahayuti comprises the BJP, the Shiv Sena group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The Maha Vikas Aghadi comprises the Shiv Sena group led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the Sharad Pawar-headed NCP faction and the Congress.
In Jharkhand, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is tipped to win 39 seats, while the INDIA coalition is predicted to win 38 seats, according to an average of exit polls. This could mean that neither coalition will touch the halfway mark of 41 needed to form the government in the 81-seat Assembly.
The ruling coalition in Jharkhand comprises the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Communist Party of India (Marxist). The BJP contested the election in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union, Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party.
Votes for the election to the Legislative Assemblies of both states will be counted on Saturday.
Maharashtra
Pollster Chanakya Strategies has predicted that the BJP-led alliance will win 152 to 160 seats in Maharashtra, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi will clinch 130 to 138 seats, leaving six to eight seats for other candidates.
Similarly, Times Now-JVC predicted 150 to 167 for the ruling alliance and 107 to 125 for the Opposition coalition.
However, pollster Electoral Edge predicted a narrow victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi with 150 seats, with the Mahayuti winning 118 constituencies, according to NDTV.
Pollster Axis My India said that it would announce its findings for Maharashtra on Thursday.
Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, Axis My India predicted a win for the INDIA coalition, tipping it to clinch 53 seats as against 25 seats for the National Democratic Alliance.
Another pollster, P-Marq, gave a slight edge to the INDIA alliance, predicting that it would win between 37 and 47 seats, while the NDA would win 31 to 40 seats.
However, Chanakya Strategies predicted that the BJP-led coalition will emerge victorious with 45 to 50 seats, while the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance could win 35 to 38 seats, according to NDTV.
Similarly, Times Now-JVC predicted 40 to 44 seats for the NDA and 30 to 40 seats for the INDIA alliance.
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