The BJP today stormed to power in Haryana for the first time and was all set to form government in Maharashtra where support came from unexpected quarters, the NCP, as the 'Modi wave' destroyed the Congress citadels in both the states. While in Haryana, the party won a majority on its own bagging 46 seats in the 90-member Assembly, it emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra where it had broken alliance with its oldest ally Shiv Sena ahead of the elections. It was leading in one more seat in Haryana.
Reflecting the dominance the party had exhibited in the Lok Sabha elections in May, the BJP dislodged Congress in Haryana, which was in power for the last 10 years. It put up a splendid show, recording a jump from a mere four seats in the last elections. In Maharashtra, where it contested in alliance with three small parties, secured 111 and was leading in 11 seats in the 288-member Assembly. Though falling short of majority by 22 seats, the BJP was on the way to forming government in Maharashtra with unsolicited support from rival NCP which was in power in coalition with Congress for the last 15 years.
BJP President Amit Shah hinted that the party was not averse to NCP's support and virtually ignored Shiv Sena, its oldest saffron ally. Sena won 61 seats out of 282 it contested. He noted that the NCP has offered unconditional outside support and not talked of joining the government. In the elections, seen as the first test of Modi's popularity after his Lok Sabha victory, the BJP mascot proved that the party's show in May was not a flash in the pan though a majority eluded it in Maharashtra. He had campaigned extensively in both the states, addressing 27 rallies in Maharashtra and 11 in Haryana.
As last results kept trickling in, the BJP Parliamentary Board, the party's highest decision-making body, met in the evening to decide its strategy in Maharashtra. Modi, Shah and others including Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the meeting. As speculation mounted as to whether the BJP will approach Sena, NCP leader Praful Patel announced outside support to it in government formation in the "interest" of stability and development of the state.
"NCP has decided to extend support to the proposed government of the BJP in Maharashtra... There is no option but to see that the largest party forms a stable government. Also the BJP is ruling in the Centre and it will benefit the state," Patel told reporters. The NCP and the Congress, which were decimated in their strongholds by the Modi wave, have won 37 and 39 seats respectively. They were ahead in four and three other seats respectively.
The BJP had contested 257 seats on its own and gave its symbol to 23 allied candidates. Its ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha won a lone seat. Raj Thackeray-led MNS was reduced to a rump of one seat against 13 it had won in last elections while the Hyderabad-based Muslim Majlis party opened its account by winning two seats. In the outgoing House, the BJP had 47 members and its then ally Shiv Sena 45. The Congress had 81 and the NCP 62.
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