New Delhi
An opinion poll by Matrize shows Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the leading candidate for CM if elections were held on Saturday. The survey reveals that 27% of respondents prefer Shinde for the role, and 35% rate his performance as ‘very good.’
Maharashtra will go to the polls later this year. The poll indicates Shinde is the top choice, with 27% support compared to Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) at 23%, Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP at 21%, and Sharad Pawar of the NCP (SP) at 9%. The remaining 20% support other candidates.
The survey also shows that 35% of respondents consider Shinde’s performance ‘very good,’ while 21% find it ‘average.’ However, 30% are ‘not satisfied,’ and 14% are ‘unsure.’
Projections suggest the BJP might secure 95-105 seats in the 288-member Assembly. Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena is expected to win 19-24 seats, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP 7-12 seats. Congress is anticipated to get 42-47 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 26-31 seats, Sharad Pawar’s NCP 23-28 seats, with ‘others’ gaining 11-16 seats.
Analysts noted that Shinde’s positive reception is giving the MahaYuti coalition an edge. The survey found that 33% believe MahaYuti has better coordination compared to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), while 26% favor the MVA for coordination.
