The results in Maharashtra and Haryana, apart from contributing substantially in pulling down the BJP’s numbers below the halfway mark in the Lok Sabha, sounded the alarm bells for the party with the Assembly polls scheduled in both the states later this year.

The BJP’s aggressive bid to exceed the limits and engineer splits in the two principal parties of Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and the NCP, boomeranged in the general election, setting the stage for an exciting state elections in the western state later this year.

The BJP suffered a similar blow in Haryana, losing half of the total 10 Lok Sabha seats, fueled by a simmering anger among Jat farmers and youths aggrieved over the Agnipath scheme in the armed forces.

The BJP had made a clean sweep in the state in 2019 and now faces the danger of losing the state when Assembly polls are held later this year. The BJP has been in power for two straight terms since 2014.

In Maharashtra, fighting with their backs virtually to the wall with their parties split, symbols taken away and names changed, Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Sharad Pawar rode the sympathy wave and proved that in the people’s court, they are the real Shiv Sena and the NCP.

The counting of votes on Tuesday showed that the Opposition bloc, known as Maha Vikas Aghadi and comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar), was leading in 29 of the state’s 48 seats, while the ruling Mahayuti (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP) managing to take the lead in 19 constituencies. In one seat, an Independent candidate was leading.

The Congress emerged as the best performer with clear leads in 12 seats, while the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena was ahead in nine and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) in seven. The Congress also appeared to have reaped the advantage of voters’ sympathy for Uddhav and Pawar. The Congress was contesting in 17, Uddhav Sena in 21 and the Sharad Pawar NCP in 10 seats.

The BJP, in alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena, had won 41 of the state’s 48 seats in 2019. The BJP’s share in the 41-seat tally was 23, while the Sena had got 18. This time, the BJP was confident of holding on to the tally of 23 seats, hoping the brunt of the voters’ anger would be borne mostly by their partners.

The results, however, showed the Marathi voters had punished the BJP harshly, with the party failing to win less than half of the 28 seats it had contested. The BJP was leading in only 11 seats, while Shiv Sena (Shinde) was ahead in just six of the 15 it contested and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) just one of the five seats it was allotted.

Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters celebrate the party's lead during counting of votes for Lok Sabha elections, at the Shiv Sena Bhavan, in Mumbai PTI

“The results so far show that the people of Maharashtra saw Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray as victims of deceit played by our party. We have paid a big price for inducting corrupt leaders such as Ajit Pawar and Ashok Chavan,” a BJP MP from Maharashtra said, adding that their alliance could lose the state badly in the year-end elections.

In Haryana, local BJP leaders said the Lok Sabha result was only a trailer and it could hit the party hard when the Assembly polls are conducted. “It was because of the Modi factor we could retain half of the LS seats. In the Assembly polls, this factor won’t be there to save us,” a BJP leader said.