Exit poll results: Return of BJP likely in UP; AAP likely to form govt in Punjab

All the phases of the Assembly elections were completed in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur on Monday. The exit poll results, too, are out in all of these states. If these results prove to be true, UP will once again have a BJP government though with a reduced number of seats. An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government seems likely in Punjab, which will be a first for the party outside Delhi. The exit polls show mixed results in Uttarakhand. Goa seems to be heading for a hung Assembly while the BJP is likely to retain Manipur.

BJP alliance to get 210-275 seats in UP

According to the exit poll results shown on the Aaj Tak, ABP News, CNN News 18, Republic TV and NewsX channels, the BJP alliance will get 210-275 seats in UP. The state has a total of 403 constituencies and 202 seats are required for a simple majority. The exit polls have predicted 119-160 seats for the Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance, the main rival of the BJP. However, SP ally Om Prakash Rajbhar says, “These figures will prove untrue on the day of results on March 10 and it is the SP alliance that will form the government in the state.”

56-90 seats likely for AAP in Punjab

The Punjab Assembly has a total of 117 seats, of which 59 are required for a simple majority. Most of the exit poll results predict that Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP will get the seats required to form the government. The India Today-Axis poll has predicted 76-90 seats for the AAP, the C-Voter survey 51-61 seats and News 18 target poll 66 seats. The surveys of TV9 Bharatvarsh and Polstrat suggest that the AAP is likely to get 56-61 seats in Punjab.

In all exit polls in Punjab, the incumbent Congress has been predicted to finish second. Various surveys have predicted 1-13 seats for the alliance of BJP, Captain Amarinder’s Punjab Lok Congress and SAD (Sanyukt). C-Voter says the alliance is likely to get 7-13 seats. It has predicted 22-28 seats for the Congress and 20-26 for the BSP alliance. The India Today-Axis survey puts the figure for Congress at 19-31 while NewsX has predicted 24-29 seats for the party.

Return of BJP likely in Uttarakhand

The poll agencies differ in their predictions for the 70-seat Uttarakhand Assembly. According to Today’s Chanakya, BJP is likely to get 43 seats, Congress 24 and others 3. On the other hand, C-Voter predicts 26-32 seats for the BJP and 32-38 for the Congress. Others, including the AAP, will have to be satisfied with 3-9 seats.

No party to get a majority in Goa

The Goa Assembly has 40 seats with 21 as the magic number. But exit polls do not show any party getting to this figure. True, Ground Zero has predicted 20-25 seats for Congress. It says the incumbent BJP will have to be satisfied with 10-14 seats. However, other surveys predict that the BJP is likely to get more seats than the Congress but not a majority. According to Times Now, Congress is likely to get 16 seats, BJP 14, AAP four and Others a tally of six.

BJP may again form a coalition govt in Manipur

The incumbent BJP may once again form government in Manipur. News 18 has predicted 27-31 seats for the BJP alliance and 11-17 for the Congress alliance. According to Zee News, BJP is likely to get 32-38 seats and Congress 12-17. India News has predicted the figures at 23-28 for the BJP and 10-14 for the Congress. A minimum of 31 seats are necessary here to form the government in the 60-seat Assembly. In 2017, the BJP had formed a coalition government with NPP and NPF in Manipur, but the three have contested the elections independently.