While most of the exit polls have predicted that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will get a majority in Maharashtra and retain power, but the Shiv Sena has said that the party will win more seats than what has been predicted.
According to the Hindustan Times, Shiv Sena welcomed the predictions for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but said that it would bag more seats than the predictions show. “The numbers look good for the NDA. I have been saying that the NDA will form the next government at the Centre. Our (Shiv Sena’s) tally will be better than what the exit polls suggest,” Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told the leading daily.
On Sunday, the exit polls have predicted that BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will be able to win most of the Lok Sabha seats. The BJP-Shiv Sena combine, which had won 43 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra in 2014, is likely to win 38-42 Lok Sabha seats now. The Congress is likely to win six to 10 seats in the state, where it is contesting in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar. According to the India TV-CNX exit poll, the BJP may bag 20 of the 25 seats it contested from in Maharashtra, while Sena may win 14 of 23 seats. ABP News-Nielsen projected the BJP and Sena would win 17 seats each.
“There have been some exit polls before the results on May 23. We expect that Narendra Modi would become the prime minister. Uddhavji has travelled across the state to spread the word about the alliance’s work. The exit polls show that NDA alliance will get success. We would like to say that better success will come for the Sena and the BJP [in the final result]. Whatever mandate we get from the people, we will humbly accept it,” told the Hindustan Times.