NDA To Form Govt In Maharashtra, Hung House In Haryana

The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena appeared poised to retain power in Maharashtra by bagging 161 seats, way above the required winning mark of 145, even though in Haryana despite emerging as the largest party, the saffron party with 40 seats to its kitty is still short of halfway mark in the 90-member state assembly.

In Maharashtra, the BJP is set to retain its position as the single largest party followed by its ally Shiv Sena.

The NCP has replaced its ally Congress in the third position thanks to its strong performance in western Maharashtra. The NCP is also leading in the prestigious bypoll to Satara Lok Sabha seat, where its candidate Shriniwas Patil is ahead of BJP’s Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji. Bhosale had left the NCP and joined BJP last month.

In the assembly bypolls on 51 seats across 17 states and a Union Territory, the ruling parties were performing strongly in most states.

However, the BJP and the Congress were locked at three-three in Gujarat. In Uttar Pradesh, where assembly by-election was held on 11 seats, the ruling BJP was leading on six, Samajwadi Party on two, Congress, BSP and Apna Dal (Soneylal) on one each.

In Haryana, according to last reports, BJP had won 30 seats and was leading on 10, while Congress had pocketed 24 and was leading on 7 seats.On the other hand, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has won 10 seats. With this, Dushyant Chautala led JJP is expected to play the role of kingmaker.

The Independents have won 6 seats and are leading on one, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has won one seat — Ellanabad from where its leader Abhay Singh Chautala got elected. (ANI)