Exit polls see BJP leading in 4 states, AAP and Cong gaining in Punjab

Exit polls on the just-concluded assembly elections in the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, say that BJP will emerge the biggest party in four states while the fight is between Congress and the AAP in Punjab.

BJP is forecast to be the biggest party in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur while there is a tough fight between Congress and AAP in Punjab. However, at least one poll predicts a hung house in UP, say exit polls.

Counting will take place in all the five states on 11 March. Exit polls, however, predict gains for BJP in all states except Punjab.

In Uttar Pradesh, which has 403 assembly seats, exit polls 2017 gives the following estimates:

India Today-Axis My India: BJP 185, SP+Congress 120, BSP 90, Others 9;

ABP News: SP+Congress 156-169, BJP 164-176, BSP 60-72, Others 2-6;

India TV-CVoter: Uttar Pradesh is tipped to throw up a hung assembly.  The BJP could get 155-167 seats, the Samajwadi-Congress alliance 135-147 seats and the BSP 81-93 seats;

NewsX-MRC: BJP+ 185 seats, SP-Congress alliance - 120, BSP - 90, Others – 8;

TimesNow-VMR: The BJP is expected to form the next government in Uttar Pradesh winning 190-210 seats in the 403-member Assembly. The Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance is tipped to win 110-130 seats and the BSP 57-74 seats.

Punjab (117 seats):
News 24-Chanakya: SAD+ 9, Congress 54, AAP 54, Others 0;

India TV-CVoter exit poll: AAP is expected to take power in Punjab. SAD + 5-13, Congress 41-49, AAP 59-67, Others 0-3;

Aaj Tak-Cicero: Congress: 62-71, AAP: 42-51, BJP-SAD 4-7, Others: 0-2;

India Today-Axis My India: The Congress is tipped to take power in Punjab, winning 62-71 seats in the 117-member assembly. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance was headed towards a rout, it said, giving the Aam Aadmi Party 42-51 seats.

Uttarakhand (70 seats):
Aaj Tak-Axis My India: BJP 46-53, Congress 12-21, Others 1-2;           

India TV-CVoter: Uttarakhand expected to get hung Assembly. BJP 29-25, Congress 29-35 seats;

 News 24-Chanakya: BJP – 53 seats, Congress 15, Others 2.

Manipur (60 seats):
India TV-CVoter: BJP likely to finish on top in Manipur. BJP likely to win 25-31 seats, Congress 17-23, Others 9-15;

Goa (40 seats):
India TV-CVoter: Goa expected to get hung Assembly. BJP+ likely to grab 15-21 seats, Congress 12-18, AAP 0-4, Others 2-8;

India Today-Axis My India: Congress 10, BJP 15, AAP 7, Others 8.

The Congress-SP alliance seems to have not made any gains for SP, and it only benefited Congress. Akhilesh could've formed govt alone, say analysts. At many places, Congress tried to defeat SP candidates, even if it meant victory for BJP: SP leader Ravidas Mehrotra was quoted as saying.

The Election Commission had extended the ban on exit polls 2017 till 5.30 pm of 9 March 2017, following the death of two candidates.