Assembly Election Results 2018: Sanjay Raut said there is a need for the ruling coalition to introspect
Highlights
- BJP's victory chariot halted: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut
- Congress established a big lead over BJP in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh
- BJP, Shiv Sena contested the 2014 Maharashtra elections separately
As votes were being counted, the Shiv Sena said on Tuesday that the outcome of assembly elections in five states is a clear message to the Bharatiya Janata Party, and there is a need for the ruling coalition to introspect. Shiv Sena spokesperson and the party's Rajya Sabha lawmaker Sanjay Raut said the trends reflect that the BJP's victory chariot has been halted. (LIVE updates)
"This is a clear message and it is the time for us to introspect," Mr Raut told reporters in Parliament.
Despite being in alliance at the Centre and in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena shares an uneasy relationship with the BJP. The two parties contested the 2014 Maharashtra polls separately but later joined hands to form a government in the state.
As per latest trends, the BJP is trailing in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to the Congress, while there is a very close contest between the two parties in Madhya Pradesh.
In Telangana, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is heading to form the government for the second time. In Mizoram, the Mizo National Front (MNF) has left the ruling Congress party far behind in its tally of seats.