Photo: AFP Voters stand in queues to cast their ballots at a polling booth during the Jharkhand state assembly elections on the outskirts of Ranchi, on November 20, 2024.
Three exit polls yesterday projected India's ruling BJP-led alliance to retain its hold in the country's richest state Maharashtra overcoming anti-incumbency and return to power in the mineral-rich eastern state of Jharkhand.
Exit polls in India though have a patchy record.
The vote count will be held on November 23 (Saturday) in both the states.
The exit poll conducted by People's Pulse predicted that of the 288 seats in Maharashtra legislative assembly, the second largest state after Uttar Pradesh, the ruling alliance of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and BJP are expected to get 175-195. The majority mark stands at 145.
Of the 81 seats in Jharkhand, where BJP has made infiltration from Bangladesh its main poll plank, the saffron party-led National Democratic Alliance are expected to win 44 to 53 seats, People's Pulse predicted. The majority mark is 41.
As the second and the final phase of polling in Jharkhand assembly elections ended today, pollsters JVC, Matrize and Peoples Pulse predict an edge for the NDA alliance in Jharkhand while Axis My India gives a majority to JMM-led INDIA.
Pollster Matrize predicts a big win for BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance in Maharashtra. Its challenger Congress-Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction)-NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) combine are likely to secure 110-130 seats. Other parties and independents will win 8-10 seats.
However, P-Marq exit poll projects a tight race in Maharashtra. According to the agency, the BJP-led alliance is likely will win between 137 and 157 seats while the Congress-led alliance will win between 126 and 146 seats.
Earlier, an estimated 58.22 per cent and 67.59 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the state assembly elections in Maharashtra, India's most industrialized state, and Jharkhand respectively yesterday in a test of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP up against a opposition INDIA alliance.
Maharashtra, home to India's financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai, is currently ruled by a coalition of Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party and a clutch of regional parties. The opposition alliance, including Congress party, is in power in eastern Jharkhand state.
BJP hoped to attract women voters with a scheme that provides 1,500 rupees a month to over twenty million women aged 21-65 whose annual family income is less than Rs 250,000. Congress party has promised women double that amount and free transportation in government buses if voted back to power.
Congress party defeated BJP and its allies in the June national elections by winning 30 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra and hoped to build on that in the assembly polls. BJP and its regional partners won 17 Lok Sabha seats.
