“Exit polls are done to please ruling party” says Maharashtra LoP Vijay Wadettiwar

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], June 2 (ANI): The leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, dismissed the predictions of exit polls that gave a clear edge to the BJP-led NDA, saying that they were done to please the ruling party at the Centre.

“We have full faith that the INDIA alliance government will be formed on June 4. All this is being done to please the ruling party,” Wadettiwar told ANI on Sunday.

“On the 4th, the truth will come out and we will come to power. I am confident that we will not get less than 35 seats in Maharashtra. We will go beyond 35,” he added.

Exit polls on Saturday predicted that the Bhartiya Janata Party-led National-Democratic Alliance (NDA) will leave behind the INDIA bloc to clinch victory in 32 to 35 seats in Maharashtra.

Voting in the state of Maharashtra for 48 seats concluded in the first five phases of the Lok Sabha elections.

Times Now ETG in its exit poll figures showed a tight race between the NDA and the INDIA bloc. According to the figures, NDA is getting 26 seats while INDIA is securing 22 seats.

The exit poll survey by News 18 also indicates NDA’s win in the state with the alliance securing 32 to 35 seats while the INDIA bloc winning 15 to 18 seats.

Republic PMARQ in its exit poll indicates that NDA will secure victory on 29 seats while the INDIA bloc will win 19 seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 23 out of 48 seats, while Shiv Sena won 18 seats. Nationalist Congress Party managed to secure victory on four seats.

In the 2014 general elections also, BJP secured 23 seats while Shiv Sena secured 18 seats. NCP had won four seats while Congress managed to secure two seats.

The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics.

Maharashtra witnessed the poll battle between the Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) & the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction)-BJP alliance and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) & the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Under the seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP contested in 28 constituencies, while its allies Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) fought in 14 constituencies and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in five constituencies.

On the other hand, Maha Vikas Aghadi members Shiv Sena (UBT) contested in 21 constituencies, Congress in 17, and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) in 10 constituencies.

The seventh and the final phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections was held across seven states and the Union territory of Chandigarh.

Polling for the six phases of the Lok Sabha elections was held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, and May 25.

Assembly polls have also been held in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Odisha is seeing simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and Assembly in the last four phases.

The Narendra Modi-led BJP is seeking a third term in power, while the opposition INDIA bloc is aiming to wrest power by stopping the juggernaut.