Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar Outshine Breakaway Factions in Maharashtra

Mumbai: In a stunning electoral comeback, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP have reaffirmed their political legitimacy in Maharashtra’s Lok Sabha polls. Despite party splits and symbol disputes, they’re outperforming their breakaway factions led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

By 5:00 PM, Team Thackeray led in 10 seats and Pawar’s NCP in 7, while Shinde’s Sena and Ajit’s NCP led in 6 and 1, respectively. Overall, the INDIA alliance is ahead in 28 seats, with the NDA-led alliance at 19.

The NDA’s performance in Maharashtra has dipped significantly since 2019 when the BJP-Sena alliance won 41 of 48 seats. Post-election, their partnership dissolved over leadership issues, prompting Thackeray to ally with NCP and Congress. Later, internal revolts by Shinde and Ajit Pawar threatened both leaders’ political futures.

However, today’s trends suggest a resurgence for Thackeray and Pawar, boosting Maha Vikas Aghadi’s prospects in upcoming state polls. Pawar hailed Maharashtra’s role in driving national change, with INDIA alliance leaders set to meet tomorrow.