New Delhi: The ruling Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will retain power in West Bengal with a slightly reduced majority, according to various exit polls shown on TV channels on Monday.
Assam and Kerala have voted for change giving the BJP its first government in the north-eastern state and bringing CPM-led LDF back to power in the southern state, exit polls predicted.
The exit polls were divided over Tamil Nadu, with advantage to the DMK-Congress alliance. The Congress could take solace from its projected victory in the tiny Union Territory of Puducherry where it is likely to get power in alliance with the DMK.
As per exit polls, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will wrest power from Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala.
The exit poll results were released at the end of the polling in Tamil Nadu and Kerala today, marking the closure of voting in four states and Puducherry. Counting of votes will take place on May 19.
In Assam, where BJP has high stakes, it could get its maiden government with India Today-Axis-My India polls giving the saffron alliance 79-93 seats in a House of 126. The Congress has been projected to get 26-33 while AIUDF headed by Badruddin Ajmal is set to get 6-10 seats. ‘Others’ can get 1 to 4 seats.
The ABP-Ananda poll gave the BJP alliance 81 seats, Congress 33, AIUDF 10 and others 5. Times Now C Voter projected BJP to get 57 seats and Congress 41 while AIUDF and others are set to get 18 and 10 respectively. Today’s Chanakya gave BJP and overwhelming 90 seats against Congress’ 27 and AIUDF 9.
In the outgoing Assembly in Assam, the Congress had 78 seats while the BJP had only 5. AIUDF had 18 seats while current BJP allies Bodo People’s Front (BPF) and AGP had 12 and 10 seats, respectively.
Projecting a defeat of Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, exit polls have given DMK-Congress alliance a comfortable majority in the 233-member Assembly.
The India Today-My Axis-India polls survey gave DMK and allies 124 to 140 seats and AIADMK 89 to 101. BJP is likely to get 0 to 3 seats while ‘others’ 4 to 8.
News Nation poll handed over 114 to 118 seats to DMK front, 95-99 for AIADMK, BJI – 4 and ‘others’ 23. Today’s Chanakya gave 140 to DMK-Congress alliance, 90 to AIADMK and 4 to Progressive Welfare Front (PWF) headed by Vijaykanth and ‘others’.
However, CVoter predicted an AIADMK victory giving it 139 seats, 78 for DMK alliance, 0 for BJP and 17 for ‘others’.
In the current assembly, the AIDMK had 150 members while DMK had 23. The DMDK had 29 and the Congress 5.
In Kerala, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will wrest power from Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) maintaining the trend of change in every election.
The poll on India TV showed the LDF getting 74 to 82 against UDF’s 54 to 62. The BJP and ‘others’ are projected to get 4 seats each. The India Today-Axis polls 88 to 101 seats for LDF and 38 to 48 for UDF. The BJP may get up to 3 seats.
CVoter has predicted 78 for LDF, 58 for UDF and 2 for BJP. In the last elections, the UDF had 72 seats and the LDF 68. — PTI