In stark contrast to its challengers, the ruling party continues to hold more seats, and potentially has more say in the final government formation, than all its allies combined.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was leading or had won 239 seats. Thirteen of its allies in the National Democratic Alliance scored 52.
In other words, the BJP holds nearly five seats for every single one held by its allies, although they remain crucial to its attempt to form the government.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), led by the Indian National Congress, sees exactly the opposite trend. Congress remains in the lead with 99 seats. Its 19 alliance partners have 135 seats in total.
The Telugu Desam Party (16), Janata Dal (United) with 12 seats and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) with five seats are among the biggest partners for the BJP in terms of seats in which they were leading or had already won (as of 7 pm).
Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena with seven seats and Janata Dal (Secular) with two seats were the other major leaders.
The Samajwadi Party (38), All India Trinamool Congress (29), and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (22) were the key allies in terms of the number of seats for the INDIA alliance. This was followed by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) with nine seats and the Nationalist Congress Party — Sharadchandra Pawar with seven seats in Maharashtra.