New Delhi: Voting in the month-long fiercely fought elections for five states ended yesterday. The results for the five states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand — will be declared on Saturday, March 11.
Uttar Pradesh voted in seven phases and saw a three-way battle between the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance, the BJP and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party. So far, all the exit polls give the BJP a win, followed by the SP-Cong combine and the BSP.
Punjab saw a tough fight between the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and incumbent Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance. The exit poll figures, so far, have given the Congress a lead. The SAD, riddled with charges of nepotism and corruption has been decimated — an average of between 5 to 7 seats.
In Manipur too, it seems a saffron win, with the BJP ending the 15-year-long rule of Congress’s Okram Ibobi Singh.
The BJP seems to be a shoo in for Uttarakhand too, where it will unseat the ruling Congress government of Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
In Goa, where the BJP is in power, the party will retain its seat. The fight in Goa is between the Congress, AAP and an alliance of MGP, Shiv Sena and Goa Suraksha Manch for the 40-member House. The exit poll figures are as follows:
Punjab: The India Today-Axis My India: Congress is the winner with between 62 to 71 seats. Akali Dal-BJP combine gets just 4 to 7 seats, while the AAP a close second with between 42-51 seats. Total seats 117.
India News exit polls: SAD decimated with just 7 seats, Cong and AAP share 55 each.
News24-Todays Chanakya: Congress (54), AAP (54), SAD+BJP (9)
India TV-CVoter exit poll: Congress (41-49), AAP (59-67), SAD+BJP (5–7), Others (0-3)
The nepotism and corruption allegations on ruling Shiromani Akali Dal will see it unable to retain its hold on the state.
Uttar Pradesh: The India News-MRC exit poll figures: Uttar Pradesh: BJP (185), SP+Congress (120), BSP 90, Others: 8, out of a total of 403 seats.
TIMES NOW-VMR: BJP+ : 190-210, SP+Cong: 110-130, BSP: 57-74, Others: 8
CNN IBN polls: BJP secures clear lead with 185 seats, SP-Congress get 120, BSP: 90.
ABP News-CSDS exit poll: BJP: 164-176, SP+Congress: 156-169, BSP: 60-72
GOA: India TV-C Voter: BJP+: 15-21, Cong: 12-18, AAP: 0-4
MANIPUR: India TV-C Voter BJP: 25-31, Congress: 17-23, Others: 9-15
Uttarakhand: India News-MRC polls: BJP 38, Cong 30, Others 2.
Today’s Chanakya: BJP 53, Congress 15, Others 2.
The Election Commission has prohibited exit polls for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections till 5.30 pm today. This follows the death of the Samajwadi Party candidate for the Alapur seat, in the wake of which polling, originally scheduled for 27 February, has been pushed back to Thursday, an official said.
State Chief Electoral Officer T. Venkatesh said that if any media organisation published or broadcast exit polls before the stipulated deadline it would be treated as violation of the Model Code of Conduct and strictly dealt with.
