Hry in for hung Assembly, BJP-Sena set to return in Maha

Haryana on Thursday seemed headed for a hung Assembly, with the ruling BJP looking to fall short of the majority figure of 46 in the 90-member House, even as the party along with its ally Shiv Sena looked set to retain power in Maharashtra by a comfortable margin, the latest trends available with the Election Commission showed.

The trends available for the 90 seats showed that the BJP was leading in 38 seats in Haryana, 8 short of the majority mark.

The Congress was ahead in 32 constituencies and the Jannayak Janata Dal (JJP), a breakaway faction of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), was leading in 10 constituencies, indicating that it could be the kingmaker in the formation of the next government. INLD was leading at 2 seats and Independents in 6 Assembly segments.

The BJP, which had won 47 seats in the last Assembly polls in 2014, had been expressing confidence about raising its tally beyond 75 seats this time, which looks a far cry at the moment.

The trends indicate a shocker for the saffron party, particularly since it had won all the 10 seats in Haryana in the Lok Sabha elections held just five months back.

The BJP had formed the government in Haryana for the first time in 2014, when it improved its tally from 4 in the previous elections to 47.

The Congress, on the other hand, improved its performance substantially this time as the trends showed that it was leading in 32 seats. In the last Assembly polls, it had managed 15 seats and failed to open account in the April-May Lok Sabha elections.

The INLD, which ruled the state the last time from 2000 to 2004, stood second with 19 seats in the last Assembly elections and was the main Opposition party in the outgoing House.

JJP was formed in December last year after Dushyant Chautala, grandson of 4-time Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, split from the INLD following a bitter fight in the family.

The Congress has already begun efforts to woo JJP leader Dushyant Chautala.

In Maharashtra, where 288 seats are at stake, the BJP was ahead in 101 constituencies and its ally Shiv Sena was leading in 64 seats, taking the combined tally to 166 seats.

From the Opposition camp, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was leading in 50 seats and its coalition partner Congress was ahead in 40 constituencies. Independents were ahead in 16 seats.

Going by the trends, the BJP's tally is lesser by 21 seats, compared to its performance in the last Assembly elections held in 2014. Shiv Sena had won 63 seats last time.

The NCP appears to have improved its performance as it had got 41 seats in the last Assembly elections, when the Congress had got 42 seats.IANS