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A poster depicting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra was removed ahead of the election result counting scheduled for November 23. The poster, which was placed by NCP leader Santosh Nangare, had caused a stir, as it presented Pawar as the state's potential next CM.
As Maharashtra heads into the final stage of election results, the contest remains highly competitive between two major alliances. On one side, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), is up against the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
With exit polls predicting a strong performance for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, it is widely anticipated that the coalition will retain power in Maharashtra. Additionally, exit polls have indicated that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is also likely to hold an advantage in Jharkhand. However, the MVA is expected to put up a tough fight, though it is not projected to secure enough seats to form a majority government in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.
Exit polls have forecasted varying results, with the P-MARQ exit poll predicting Mahayuti to win between 137 and 157 seats, while MVA is expected to win between 126 and 147 seats, and other parties could secure between 2 and 8 seats. Meanwhile, Chanakya Strategies anticipates Mahayuti to win 152-150 seats, MVA to gain 130-138 seats, and others to win 6-8 seats.
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In an earlier statement, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde noted that following the results, leaders of the Mahayuti alliance would meet to collectively decide who would take on the role of Chief Minister. Shinde further emphasised that there was no internal competition within the alliance for the top position. "All leaders will sit together and decide. The goal is not personal competition but to form a government focused on development. In contrast, the MVA spent much of the last two and a half years merely debating who would be the CM, without focusing on public issues," Shinde said to ANI.
(With inputs from ANI)
