NEW DELHI: BJP seems headed back to office with strong majorities in Maharashtra and Haryana , seemingly riding on effective state leadership and the overhang of this year’s Lok Sabha results, embellished by the Modi government’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. If the polls prove correct, it will be the first time BJP will retain office in both states.According to exit polls on Monday evening after voting ended, the BJP-Shiv Sena combine looks set to retain office in Maharashtra with numbers ranging from 166 to 244, sufficient to cross the 145-seat majority mark. The poll of polls gave it almost a three-fourths majority.Several exit polls showed BJP close to a majority on its own, while Sena may also see a surge in numbers. The decision to field Sena scion Aditya Thackeray may have enthused the party base.Interestingly, the exit polls suggest NCP may get more seats than Congress. The Congress-NCP alliance seems to be holding some ground in western Maharashtra, its bastion, but here, too, the saffron parties may improve.The influx of influential Maratha politicians into BJP and Sena may have boosted the alliance.