Mumbai: Leading in 24 of Mumbai’s 36 seats, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is poised for a decisive victory in India’s financial capital. The BJP is expected to win 17 seats and the Shiv Sena (Shinde) seven, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is trailing in all three constituencies it contested.

In the seat distribution, BJP contested 18 constituencies, Shiv Sena-Shinde 14 and Ajit Pawar-led NCP three. In Shivadi, the ruling alliance supported Maharashtra Navnirman Sena candidate Bala Nandgaonkar.

Several key BJP leaders from Mumbai retained strong leads after initial rounds of counting, including Mumbai Chief Ashish Shelar, Minister for Skill Development Mangalprabhat Lodha (the third richest candidate), Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, Parag Shah (the richest candidate) and former minister Vidya Thakur.

Both Thackeray heirs face setbacks, with Aaditya Thackeray, sitting Worli MLA and Uddhav Thackeray’s son, trailing in Worli, while MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit follows in Mahim. NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader and former minister Nawab Malik and his daughter Sana Malik trail in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar and Anushakti Nagar respectively. Congress working president Arif Naseem Khan is trailing in Chandivali.

The BJP had declined to support Nawab Malik’s candidature and refused to campaign for him, citing alleged links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Still, Ajit Pawar’s NCP backed him and campaigned for his victory. Similar tensions within Mahayuti arose in Mahim, where Amit Thackeray is standing as a candidate. While the BJP supported Thackeray, the Shinde-led Sena refused to withdraw its sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar.

“We are heading for the clear majority and I think people have accepted the Hindutva slogan of the BJP. We would like to see Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of the state,” said Praveen Darekar, BJP member of the Legislative Council.