NDA's Struggle in Maharashtra: Falling Short of Targets

The NDA coalition is not meeting its goal of securing 45+ Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, according to the latest vote trends. While the BJP and Shiv Sena are trailing, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, including Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP, is performing significantly better.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is falling significantly short of its ambitious target of securing over 45 seats out of the 48 in the Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections, as indicated by the latest vote counting trends. As of 1 PM on Tuesday, the coalition was lagging behind by a considerable margin.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was leading in 12 seats, with its ally Shiv Sena ahead in 7, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led in just one constituency. In stark contrast, the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), including the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction), was leading in 27 seats. Notably, a former Congressman turned independent candidate was leading in the Sangli constituency.

Comparatively, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had secured 23 seats and its then-ally Shiv Sena (undivided) won 18 seats. The NCP had clinched four seats, while the Congress managed just one. For the 2024 elections, the BJP-led NDA had set a high target of winning 45-plus constituencies in Maharashtra. However, of the 35 MPs renominated from the 2019 elections, 19 are trailing, with the BJP the hardest hit, as 12 of its 17 renominated MPs are falling behind.