Exit polls predict BJP win in UP, Manipur, AAP in Punjab, close contest in others

The BJP is predicted to win big in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur while the AAP is set to get majority in Punjab and a close contest between Congress and BJP is on the cards in Uttarakhand and Goa, if the exit polls for the just concluded assembly election results are to be believed.

India Today, India News, India TV-Ground Zero Research, News 18 Punjab – P-MARQ, Zee News-DESIGNBOXED, ABP Majha-C Voter, ETG Research, Times Now-VETO, NewsX-Polstrat wee among those who put out estimates of the results on Monday (March 7), after the polling ended for the last phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

It is to be noted that the exit results can be wrong. The actual results for the Assembly elections in the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur will be out on March 10.

Most exit polls predicted a clear majority for the BJP and its allies in Uttar Pradesh, with Akhilesh Yadav-led SP alliance coming second.

Uttarakhand threw up a close contest between the Congress and BJP, with both getting around 34 seats, a few short of the majority mark, leaving scope for post-poll manouevres.

A similar play could be expected in Goa too where the two national parties would fight for the majority mark of 21 in the 40-seat assembly.

A clear majority for Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party led by Bhagwant Mann is expected in Punjab, which saw severe infighting in the incumbent Congress pave the way for Charanjit Singh Channi’s rise as chief minister over Amarinder Singh and Navjot Sidhu.

BJP is likely to get a clear mandate in Manipur, with Congress coming a distant second.