In a significant win for the INDIA bloc in Mumbai and Maharashtra, Anil Desai from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) has secured the Mumbai South Central seat with 3,95,138 votes. Desai defeated Rahul Ramesh Shewale from the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) by a margin of 53,384 votes, according to the Election Commission (EC) website.
Meanwhile, BJP candidate and Union Minister Piyush Goyal is leading in the Mumbai North constituency by a substantial margin of 3,50,921 votes against the Congress candidate. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is poised for a strong performance in Mumbai, with Sanjay Dina Patil leading by 23,486 votes in Mumbai North East, Arvind Ganpat Sawant leading by 52,301 votes in Mumbai South, and Amol Gajanan Kirtikar leading by 3,908 votes in Mumbai North West. Additionally, Congress candidate Varsha Eknath Gaikwad is leading by 18,580 votes in Mumbai North Central.
Mumbai, which went to the polls on May 20, has six Lok Sabha seats: Mumbai North, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South-Central, and Mumbai South. Approximately 120 candidates are contesting these seats, with varying numbers of candidates in each constituency.
In Maharashtra, results have been declared for three Lok Sabha constituencies so far: Mumbai South Central, Raigad, and Nandurbar. The Mahayuti’s NCP faction won in Raigad, while the MVA’s Congress won in Nandurbar.
The INDIA bloc has gained a majority across Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) has won 1 seat and is leading in 9 others; Congress has won 1 seat and is leading in 11 others; and NCP (Sharad Pawar) is leading in 7 seats, projecting a likely total of 29 seats for the MVA.
The Mahayuti alliance has won 1 seat through the NCP (Ajit Pawar) in Raigad. The BJP is leading in 11 seats, and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) is leading in 6 seats, projecting their likely tally at 18 seats in Maharashtra. Additionally, an independent candidate is leading in one seat, as per EC data.
Exit Poll Predictions
In this election, the BJP contested 28 constituencies, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) 14, and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) 5. On the other hand, the MVA’s Shiv Sena (UBT) contested 21 constituencies, Congress 17, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) 10. The Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra was conducted over five phases.
Exit polls for Maharashtra, one of the most closely watched states, predicted a nearly equal split between the main opposing parties. Various exit polls forecasted that the BJP-led Mahayuti would secure between 22 to 35 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would win between 15 to 26 seats.
