New Delhi: The BJP-led NDA was on Monday predicted to retain power in Maharashtra with a huge majority, with IANS-C-Voter Exit Poll giving it between 192 and 216 seats in the 288-member Assembly.
The BJP-Shiv Sena combine had bagged 185 seats in the last Assembly elections held in 2014, after which a government headed by Devendra Fadnavis was formed.
According to the exit poll, the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine seemed to be way behind with 55-81 seats. In the last Assembly elections, the Congress-NCP-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena coalition had bagged 84 seats.
In the elections held on Monday, the vote share of the NDA seems to have suffered a slight dip. It is predicted to get 46.4 per cent of votes, whereas it had got 47.2 per cent last time.
The UPA is predicted to get 36.9 per cent of votes, which is a dip from the 38.3 per cent it managed last time.
Region-wise, the NDA seems to be getting the maximum of 47-51 seats in Vidarbha and the lowest of 21-25 seats in North Maharashtra. The Mumbai region appears to be giving the ruling coalition 29-33 seats, Konkan 30-34 seats, Marathvada 25-29 seats and West Maharashtra 40-44 seats.