BJP-led combine sweeps Maha; bags 42 of 48 seats

Riding a "Modi wave" and capitalising on anti-incumbency, the BJP-Shiv Sena led alliance today dealt a resounding defeat to the ruling Congress-NCP combine in Maharashtra winning 42 of the 48 seats in the state.
The ruling alliance turned in its worst-ever performance in the Lok Sabha polls winning just six seats.
BJP won 23, Shiv Sena 18 and ally Swabhimani Paksh one, while Congress managed just two and NCP four, a far cry from the Congress tally of 17 and NCP's 8 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.
As the Opposition gunned for him, demanding his resignation and a snap poll, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said he "fully owned moral responsibility" for the debacle.

Several political bigwigs were trounced, including Union ministers Sushilkumar Shinde, Praful Patel and Pratik Patil, senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal and nine-term Congress MP Manikrao Gavit.
Industry minister Narayan Rane, whose son Nilesh failed to retain the coastal Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri seat, resigned from the state cabinet, owing moral responsibility for the defeat. Another Congress minister Nitin Raut also quit after former BJP president Nitin Gadkari won from Nagpur, defeating Vilas Muttemwar of Congress.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which was the only party to field candidates in all 48 seats, ended with a dud, as did the Raj Thackeray-led MNS, which put up nine candidates.

Notable losers also included social activist and AAP nominee Medha Patkar, and Congress MP Priya Dutt who was trounced by BJP leader late Pramod Mahajan's daughter Poonam Mahajan.
Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde retained the Beed seat, defeating NCP minister Suresh Dhas, in one of the keenly watched fights in the state.