New Delhi, October 22: The Congress romped home victorious for a third straight term in Maharashtra, swept Arunachal Pradesh with a two-third majority but its snap poll gamble failed in Haryana falling short of six seats in a hung house.
The poll outcome in the first major test for political parties after the May Lok Sabha polls mirrored Congress’s showing then though it fell short of expectations in Haryana where a resurgent INLD put up a good showing.
Despite a two per cent vote swing against it, the Congress-NCP combine ruling Maharashtra for the past ten years beat the anti-incumbency factor and clung to power getting four more seats getting 144 in a House of 288. The combine needed just one seat more for a simple majority.
Congress won 82 while Sharad Pawar’s NCP bagged 62 as against 69 and 71 respectively in the previous elections.
–Agencies