"People voted only on agenda of development": Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde confident of Mahayuti's win in Maharashtra assembly polls

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 21 (ANI): Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan Shrikant Shinde on Thursday exuded confidence in winning the Maharashtra Assembly elections and said that the people of the state voted for Mahayuti only on the agenda of development.
"The way we have delivered development works and introduced welfare schemes, its results you are seeing today when voting percentage has increased...I have confidence that people voted to form the Mahayuti government again," Shinde told ANI.
He further said that the poll campaign was development-oriented and about welfare schemes.
"Our campaign was development-oriented and about welfare schemes...During the Lok Sabha elections, an attempt was made (by the opposition) to mislead people and scare Muslim and Buddhist communities... In Assembly elections, people voted only on the agenda of development," he added.
Polling for the Maharashtra Assembly elections took place on Wednesday with a voter turnout of 62.05 per cent.
The results will be announced on November 23.
The primary contest in the Maharashtra assembly elections is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), while the opposition MVA comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction). This election is significant as it is the first assembly poll in the state following the splits in Shiv Sena and NCP.
The ruling Mahayuti is poised to retain power in Maharashtra, exit polls predicted on Wednesday.
Most exit polls also predicted that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would put up a strong show in polls but is unlikely to cross the majority mark in the 288-member assembly.
According to the P-MARQ exit poll, the Mahayuti alliance would win 137-157 seats whereas the Maha Vikas Aghadi would get 126-147 seats and others 2-8 seats.
Chanakya Strategies projected that Mahayuti will win 152-150 seats, MVA 130-138 seats, and others 6-8 seats. (ANI)