The exit polls on Monday predicted the return of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, the AAP scoring a historic win in Punjab, a close contest in Uttarakhand with the BJP having a decisive edge in the hill State, and Goa heading for a hung Assembly. The ruling BJP is set to emerge as the single largest party in Manipur and is in a position to form Government in the NE State.
The exit polls could further compound the problems for the Congress leadership and give voice to a section of leaders who have been demanding a comprehensive change in the organisational structure.
Two days ago, BJP president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah predicted that the BJP will form Governments in four out of five States which went to the polls, Uttar Pradesh was on top of their list. The exit polls seemed to prove them right.
Similarly, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was on dot in claiming that his party will score a big win in Punjab and oust the Congress Government there. Exit polls have given the AAP a comfortable majority in the border State where the Congress could never overcome its infighting.
Without exception, all exit polls on Monday predicted a comfortable win for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. The Axis-My India went a step further, projecting 288-326 seats for the ruling party, which would even surpass BJP’s 2017 feat .
The exit polls show that Samajwadi Party’s politics of caste arithmetic was no match for BJP’s focus on highlighting free rations, the crackdown on crime mafia, women safety and security, and its Hindutva pitch.
Reacting to the exit polls, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “I thank all the BJP workers. Elections were conducted peacefully in UP. I thank the Election Commission for conducting free and fair elections.”
In UP, India Today-My Axis gives the BJP as many as 288 to 326 seats as against 71 to 101 to the Samajwadi Party (SP) and 1 to 3 to the Congress.
ETG research predicted 230 to 245 for the BJP in UP, SP plus 150-165, BSP 5-10, and Congress 1-3.
In a similar way, India News anticipates 222 to 260 seats in UP, the SP winning 135-165 , BSP 4-9, and the Congress again performing poorly gaining only 1 to 3 seats of total 403 Assembly seats.
News X-Polstrat puts the BJP plus seats anywhere between 2011 and 225, SP plus 146-160 and the BSP 14-24.
Times Now-VETO gives the BJP+ 225 seats in UP with the SP+ collecting 151, the BSP 17, and the Congress only five seats.
For UP “Poll of exit polls” predicts 240 for the BJP, the SP 142, the BSP 12, and the Congress confined to five seats.
Zee News-DESIGNBOXED anticipates the BJP plus to get 223-248, the SP plus 138-157, and the BSP 5-11 and the Congress 5-9.
The AAP is predicted to be favourite in Punjab in nearly all the exit polls.
ABP News-C-Voter gives the AAP 51-61, the Congress 22-28, tge Akalis 20-26 and tge BJP 7-13.
For Punjab, India Today-Axis My India places the AAP with 76 to 90 seats of a total 117, the Congress 19-31, the Akalis 7-11 and the BJP 7-11 as Times Now-Veto again gives the AAP 70 seats as against the Congress 21, the Akali 19, and the BJP 3-7.
ETG research also gives a high of 70-75 to AAP, Congress 27-33, Akalis plus 7-13 and the BJP plus 3-7.News 24-Today’s Chanakya gave AAP a high of 100 seats while the Congress reduced to 10, Akalis 6, and BJP to one seat in Punjab.
India News, however, gave the AAP less of 39-43, the Congress 23-26, the Akalis 22-25, and the BJP 6-8 seats in Punjab. In all, poll of 7 exit polls shows AAP win in Punjab.
According to exit polls, Goa could be headed for a hung Assembly, Uttarakhand may have a keen contest with the ruling BJP having an edge over the Congress.
Today’s Chanakya predicts BJP win in Uttarakhand with 43 seats, Cong 24 of total 70 seats.
India Today-Axis My India gives a projection of 36-40 for the BJP, 20-30 to the Congress predicting victory for the BJP in Uttarakhand.
For Uttarakhand, Times-VETO predicts a close contest with the BJP winning 37, the Congress 31, and the AAP one seat.India Today-Axis My India predicts a hung Assembly share projection for Goa with the BJP 14-18, the Cong 15-20.
ABP-Majha-C Voter also predicts hung assembly in Goa with the BJP winning 13-17 the Congress 12-16 and the TMC which made its debut in the State pocketing 4-9 seats with others gaining one to seven seats.
On a similar line, TIMES now-Veto gave the BJP 14, the Congress plus 16 with others winning ten seats.
In Manipur, the BJP is set to emerge as the largest party with 30 seats, predicts a poll of exit polls.
According to India Today-Axis My India, BJP in Manipur to win 33-43 of 60 Assembly seats, the Congress plus 4-8 and others (NPP) 10 to 23 seats.
Reacting to exit polls, Raghav Chadha, AAP’s Punjab co-in charge told a TV channel that the exit polls show that the people of Punjab have overwhelmingly voted for the jodi of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann.
“They have embraced and acknowledged the Kejriwal model of governance. And the State of Punjab, which was yearning for change, has overthrown the traditional political parties — the Akali Dal and the Congress — chosen a new political start-up AAP and its tried-and-tested Delhi model,” he said.
People’s mandate as to in whose hands will they place the reins of the future of their children, youth, elders for the next five years is locked in the machines (EVMs). Results will come on 10th, we will accept the mandate of people.
What calculation? We are getting more than 80 seats. They (the rest of the parties that contested Punjab elections) can sit down and calculate among themselves,” Mann, AAP’s CM candidate for Punjab, told news agency ANI.