The STAR News-Nielsen exit poll has projected incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging victorious in the Uttarakhand Assembly polls, bagging 36 seats, in a departure from other television exit polls. The Congress is projected as being six seats away from the magic figure of 35.
In Punjab however, the Star News-Nielsen exit poll projects a neck-to-neck fight between the incumbent SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress. While the Congress appears to be in a position to form the government under Captain Amarinder Singh, with 58 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly; the SAD-BJP alliance could also stake a claim as it is predicted to get just two seats less (56 seats) than the Congress, according to the polls.
According to this exit poll, Manpreet Badal’s PPP is likely to get two seats and could play a crucial role in government formation in Punjab, where the magic figure is 59. The Punjab poll result would be interesting to watch out for as it will be a closely fought contest between the two national parties, according to the Star-Nielsen poll.
In Uttarakhand, the poll says, B C Khanduri’s efforts would appear to have borne fruit as he is projected to have steered the BJP to victory.
The party is projected to up its tally from 35 in the last elections to 36 this time, while the Congress is also set to make gains — predicted to get 29 seats improving its tally from 21 in the 2007 Assembly elections.
Exit polls of CNN-IBN, News 24 and Headlines Today have, however, said the Congress will form the government in Uttarakhand, with projections of it bagging 30-plus seats.
