Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is the leading choice for the CM’s post if elections were held today, according to an opinion poll by Matrize survey agency.
The survey, broadcast by Times Now on Friday, reveals that 27 per cent of respondents favour Shinde for the Chief Minister’s position. Additionally, 35 per cent rated his performance as ‘very good’.
Scheduled for later this year, the Maharashtra elections show Shinde ahead with 27 per cent support, surpassing Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) at 23 per cent, Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP at 21 per cent, and Sharad Pawar of the NCP (SP) at 9 per cent. The remaining 20 per cent support other candidates.
The survey also indicates that BJP is projected to secure between 95 and 105 seats in the 288-member Assembly. The Shinde faction of Shiv Sena is expected to win 19 to 24 seats, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is anticipated to secure 7-12 seats.
Congress is projected to win 42-47 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 26-31 seats, Sharad Pawar-led NCP 23-28 seats, and ‘others’ 11-16 seats.
Analysts on the Times Now panel noted that Shinde’s positive reception may benefit the MahaYuti coalition, with 33 per cent of respondents believing it has better coordination compared to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
In contrast, 26 per cent view the MVA as better coordinated, while 14 per cent see both alliances as equally coordinated, and 15 per cent were unsure.