ABP News Opinion Poll: Congress-NCP Gamble Fails As NDA To Retain Maharashtra Assembly Elections

The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena and their allies looks strong enough to recapture the power in the state, while the Opposition Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will make a determined effort to dislodge it.

Incumbent NDA government is most likely to increase its seats share from 185 to 205 seats in the upcoming elections. (Image: PTI)

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019: Maharashtra is all geared up for the much awaited Assembly polls soon after the Election Commission on Saturday blew the poll bugle by announcing the election dates. Keeping in mind the political scenario in the country, ABP News along with C-Voter conducted a survey to check the mood of the people in the state which is currently ruled by Devendra Fadnavis-led NDA government. After conducting a survey in order to understand the choice of the people, it was learnt that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA remains to be the first preference of people in the state. The recently conducted survey gives a thumping majority to the NDA in Maharashtra with 46 per cent of the people wanting it to return to power. Congress, on the other hand, was choice of 30 per cent of the people. According to the Opinion Poll, the incumbent NDA government is most likely to increase its seats share from 185 to 205 seats in the upcoming elections. However, the survey also gives Congress party an increase in total number of seats from 42 to 55. Other independent parties are likely to get 28 seats in total. Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has a total of 288 seats and one seat is nominated. The ABP News Opinion Poll also shows that BJP remains to be favourite option of the people if all parties decide to fight Maharashtra Assembly elections independently. If this happens, BJP will get as many as 144 seats whereas Shiv Sena will get 39 seats. Congress still lags behind in this category and will manage to get only 21 seats, whereas NCP will get 20 seats. Other parties will manage to grab 64 seats in total.

#MaharashtraElections2019: #BJP likely to return to power with whopping 205 seats; #Congress to get 55 seats, Others get 28 seats. #OpinionPollWithABPNews

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/DklVA2kRqn pic.twitter.com/qzAPOphwyX — ABP News (@ABPNews) September 21, 2019

The 12-crore people in Maharashtra will elect 288 new representatives to the state legislature in the polls to be held on October 21 and the counting scheduled on October 24. The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena and their allies looks strong enough to recapture the power in the state, while the Opposition Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will make a determined effort to dislodge it. However, both the alliances were still blowing hot and cold over their proposed alliances, but assure their tie-ups are 'finalised' and will be announced shortly. It is expected that both the alliance will be declared early next week. Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has demanded 135 seats from the BJP, which is reluctant to part with more seats to safeguard its position and avoid any tug-of-war for the coveted post of Chief Minister in case they are voted back to office. Besides, 18 seats are expected to be allotted to the allies- Republican Party of India (A), Shiv Sangram Party, Rashtriya Samaj Party and Swabhimani Party. The BJP is reportedly keen that the smaller allies contest the polls on its ('Lotus') symbol for better winning prospects. Emaciated by the string of nearly three dozen important leaders, the Opposition Congress-NCP are virtually clear on contesting 125 seats each, leaving the rest for other allies, who are clamouring for more. In 2014, both the two major alliances had fallen apart and contested the Assembly elections independently, though they had contested the Lok Sabha polls earlier that year jointly. While the Shiv Sena sat in the Opposition with the Congress-NCP for around a month, it later 'defected' to the ruling side and the saffron combined remained in office for the full five year term.  NCP national spokesperson and Mumbai chief Nawab Malik welcomed the poll schedule and urged the Election Commission of India (ECI), fair and transparent elections.