Cong-NCP beat anti-incumbency, score hat-trick in Maharashtra

Overcoming anti-incumbency caused by agrarian distress, price rise and acute power shortage, ruling Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra today stormed back to power for the third time in a row.

The decade-old coalition, with 144 seats, fell one short of majority in the 288-member assembly and would not find it  difficult to enlist the support of independents and others for absolute majority as many of them were with it before the
elections.

The ruling combine bagged 144 seats while its main challenger Shiv Sena-BJP alliance secured 90 and Sena's breakaway faction MNS 13.

Congress emerged as the single largest party with 82 seats in its kitty followed by NCP with 62. BJP pocketed 46 seats, two more than its senior partner Shiv Sena.

The Republican Party of India-Left Democratic Front bagged 11 seats and independents and smaller parties 30.

While Congress-NCP combine's strength went marginally up by four seats, that of Shiv Sena-BJP alliance plummeted by 26.

The leadership of Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, who had the responsibility of carrying forward his father Bal Thackeray's legacy, came under cloud with the biggest blow coming from his estranged nephew Raj Thackeray-led MNS which bagged 13 seats in its maiden assembly poll foray.