Exit Polls Give Edge to TMC in Bengal, Big Win for DMK in TN, LDF in Kerala

New Delhi: If exit polls are to be believed, anti-incumbency does not seem to have worked much in the Assembly polls, except in Tamil Nadu. Most exit polls show non-BJP parties bagging most of the five states that went to polls, with the saffron party making litlle headway in the two big southern states – Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

In the fiercely fought West Bengal election amid a raging pandemic, most of the exit polls project Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) returning to power, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which fielded about a 100 candidates defecting from TMC and other parties, coming second and the Sanjukta Morcha ( Left-Congress- Indian Secular Front) at the third position.

WEST BENGAL

In West Bengal, Times Now-C Voter predicted a clear majority for TMC by projecting 162 seats for the party and 115 for BJP.

ETG Research predicted TMC would win 164-176 seats, BJP-105-115 and the Congress-Left Alliance-10-15.

ABP C-Voter gave TMC: 152-164 seats, BJP: 109-121 and Congress-Left alliance: 14-25

CNN News18 forecast TMC-162, BJP-115, Congress-Left alliance-15

Republic-CNX polls, however, gave BJP a slight edge by projecting 138-148 seats for the party in the 294-seat Assembly and 128-138 to the TMC.

Jan Ki Baat exit polls, however, predicted a strong majority for BJP in West Bengal, giving it 162-185 seats, against 104-121 to the ruling TMC.

KERALA

In Kerala, most exit polls predicted a return to power for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front government, which is pitted against the Congress-led United Democratic front. The BJP is shown to be mostly drawing a blank in the southern state.

According to India Today-Axis My India exit poll, the LDF would get 104-120 seats, the UDF 201-36 seats and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance 0-2.

As per Today’s Chanakya, LDF may bag 102 ± 9 seats, UDF 35 ± 9 seats and BJP 3 ± 3 Seats, Others 0 ± 3 Seats.

The saffron-leaning Republic-CNX exit poll predicts LDF at 72-80 seats, UDF at 58-64 seats and NDA at 1-5 seats,

ASSAM

In Assam, India Today-Axis My India predicted 75-85 seats for BJP in the 126-member Assembly and 40-50 to the Mahajot or the Congress-led opposition alliance, including the Left parties.

Today's Chanakya, however, predicted 70 seats for the saffron alliance and 56 for the Mahajot.

ABP-C-Voter projected 58-71 for the ruling BJP-led alliance, 53-66 for the Congress-led Mahajot and 0-5 for Others.

Republic TV-CNX showed BJP alliance ahead with 74-84 seats, Congress alliance with 40-50 and Other 0-3 seats.

TAMIL NADU

Most exit polls projected a sweep for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Allliance, which includes Congress and Left parties.

According to Today’s Chanakya, the ruling AIADMK+ would get a paltry 57 ± 11 seats, with DMK+ bagging 175 ± 11 Seats, Others 2 ± 4 Seats.

Republic TV-CNX projected AIADMK alliance bagging 58-68, DMK alliance-160-170 and Others -4-6 seats.

P-MARQ forecast AIADMK alliance with 40-65 seats, DMK alliance-165-190 and Others1-3 seats.

In the Union territory of Puducherry, two exit polls – Republic-CNX and ABP-C-Voter- gave an edge to the NDA in the 30-member Assembly, with 16-20 and 19-23 seats, respectively.