Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections 2019: chances of NDA taking the lead.

Around 25,000 personnel are deployed on counting duty, an election official said, adding police have also made adequate arrangements to ensure a smooth counting process. The polling held on Monday saw a voter turnout of 61.13 per cent, a dip from the 63.20 per cent recorded in 2014, the official said.

The highest turnout, of 83.93 per cent, was reported in the Karveer assembly seat in Kolhapur, while the lowest was in south Mumbai’s upmarket Colaba area at 40.11 per cent.

While the tables are tilted in favour of the BJP-Sena alliance as per the exit polls, many leaders are in focus including Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray, who is the first member of the Thackeray family to contest an election and a win for him could redefine the party’s politics in the state. Most exit polls predict NDA will win over 200 seats in Maharashtra and BJP will get over 70 in Haryana.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could be on course to making history as most exit polls predicted that the party will comfortably return to power in Haryana, while the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP is headed for a landslide victory in Maharashtra.

There is a 65.57% turnout in Haryana and 59.01% in Maharashtra. These figures are tentative and are likely to increase as more data pours in.

“A win for the BJP also means people have supported policies such as the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A and making instant triple talaq illegal. The performance of the BJP is also a reflection on Congress, which looks like a defeated and tired side. It needs to find a new narrative if it wants to electorally challenge the BJP,”