The Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has been predicted to win the recently concluded Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, going by the exit polls.
Axis My India survey predicted that Mahayuti would claim 131 to 151 seats while the Uddhav and Raj Thackeray combine is likely to settle for just 58 to 68 seats.
The JVC exit poll expects BJP and Shiv Sena coalition to bag 138 seats while Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are predicted to get 59 wards.
The Sakal exit poll also projected a win for the Mahayuti, which was predicted win in 119 wards. Uddhav's Shiv Sena, NCP (SP) and MNS were predicted to bag 75 seats while the Congress was expected to settle for 20 seats.
DV Research exit poll survey predicted 107 to 122 seats for the Mahayuti, followed by 68 to 83 for the Thackeray cousins and 18 to 25 for the Congress.
Janmat Polls pegged its Mahayuti tally at 138, the same as what JVC predicted. It also expects the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS combine to get 62 seats, followed by the Congress at 20.
The poll panel revealed that around 50 per cent polling was recorded in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra on Thursday. This came amid a row over allegations that the ink applied on voters' fingers could be easily removed.
Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Thursday alleged large-scale misuse of money and power by the ruling BJP-led alliance in the BMC elections, claiming that cash and goods, including mixer grinders, were distributed openly.