According to the survey, most of the participants preferred incumbent Eknath Shinde as the chief minister for one more term.
Published Nov 20, 2024 | 6:05 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 20, 2024 | 6:05 PM
Eknath Shinde. (X)
Following the completion of polling for the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday, 20 November, People’s Pulse released an exit poll predicting the formation of a new government by the BJP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde)-led Mahayuti alliance.
The Hyderabad-based agency predicted that the Mahayuti alliance would secure 175 to 195 seats in the 288-member state Assembly, well above the required 145 to form a government.
It also predicted that the BJP would win the maximum number of seats, ranging from 102 to 120, far ahead of the Congress’s projected 24 to 44.
The survey also placed Eknath Shinde as the people’s favourite face for the chief minister’s post with 35.8 percent of the respondents choosing him.
Party wise vote share.
According to the exit poll survey, the Mahayuti alliance is expected to retain power in Maharashtra by securing 49.8 percent of the total polled votes.
It predicted that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is lagging behind with a vote share of 40.1 percent while other small parties and independents are expected to take away 10.1 percent.
The survey put BJP as the single largest party in the elections. According to it, the BJP leads with 31.3 percent of the votes, followed by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) at 14.5 percent.
The Congress is projected at 13.7 percent, closely followed by Shiv Sena (UBT) at 13 percent. The NCP Ajit Pawar faction is expected to gather 4 percent while Sharad Pawar faction is expected to be at 10.1 percent.
Smaller parties and independents account for 13.4 percent, reflecting the fragmentation among minor players.
Party wise seats.
The People’s Pulse exit polls predict that there will not be any change in the governance of Maharashtra since the Mahayuti alliance is expected to lead with 182 seats, within a range of 175 to 195.
MVA alliance trails with an estimated 97 seats (range: 85–112). Other parties are forecasted to secure nine seats, with a range of seven to 12.
Among the Mahayuti partners, the BJP is projected to dominate with 113 seats (between 102 and 120), followed by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) at 52 seats (42 to 61). The NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction is expected to win 17 seats in the polls, predicted the exit poll.
Meanwhile, the Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) are expected to win 35 seats each, while their alliance partner Shiv Sena (UBT) is positioned to win 35 seats.
Even though the Opposition predicted a rout of the BJP, the vote concentration highlights its central role in the Mahayuti’s performance.
Chief Minister choice.
According to the survey, most of the participants preferred incumbent Eknath Shinde as the chief minister for one more term. With 35.8 percent of participants choosing him, Shinde is expected to strengthen his position as a frontrunner for Mahayuti.
Uddhav Thackeray is a distant second at 21.7 percent, followed by Devendra Fadnavis with 11.7 percent. Other candidates, including Raj Thackeray, Ajit Pawar, and Nana Patole, each have vote shares below 3 percent.
It is interesting to note that 20.9 percent of the participants wanting a fresh face other than the prominent leaders as the chief minister of Maharashtra.
Eariler, in an interview with South First, BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan exuded confidence in the Mahayuti winning 175-180 seats. It will be a clear majority.
“And I believe all media surveys are on our side as well,” he had said.
Farmers’ leader Manoj Jarange Patil, who is advocating for Maratha reservations, was expected to influence the election, but the People’s Pulse Maharashtra Assembly elections exit poll results suggest otherwise.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
