New Delhi, Oct 13 : The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance is likely to win the assembly elections in Maharashtra where polling was held Tuesday, according to IBN-Lokmat Times projections.

According to these projections, the ruling Congress-NCP alliance will win 135 to 145 seats in the 288-member assembly with the Congress garnering 75-85 seats and the NCP 55-65 seats.

The projections gave 105-115 seats to the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition with 45-55 seats to the BJP and 55-65 seats to the Shiv Sena.

In the 2004 assembly polls, the NCP and the Congress won 71 and 69 seats respectively. The Shiv Sena was on top in 62 constituencies while the BJP bagged 52 seats.

Last week an opinion poll by the Star News channel predicted a hung assembly with the Congress-NCP alliance winning up to 140 seats and the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance getting 118 seats.

Either grouping needs 145 seats in the 288-member assembly to be able to vault to the ruling position.

After counting of votes, election results will be declared Oct 22. (IANS)