Friday, 30 April 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
BJP to retain Assam, Kerala to go to LDF; DMK to wrest power in TN
The exit polls on Thursday with varying degrees gave an edge to the TMC for crossing the half-way mark in the West Bengal while predicting a win for BJP in Assam, LDF retaining Kerala and DMK ousting AIADMK with a big bang sweep in Tamil Nadu.
Exit polls saw the Congress getting marginalised in every State and UT of Puducherry.
Though pollsters see the return of the BJP and the LDF in Assam and Kerala, they are still a little divided in predicting a clear third-time success for TMC leader Mamata Banerjee.
India Today-Axis, interestingly has given a slight edge to the BJP in West Bengal which, according to it, will win 134-160 seats as against TMC’s 130-156.
It gives Left only two seats to the left and one to “others”.
Republic-CNXE exit survey again predicted the BJP ahead in the poll in West Bengal with 138-148 seats (halfway mark) while the TMC gets 128 to 138. It gives Left plus only 11-21 seats.
A lesser known survey by “Jaan ki Baat” maintains that the BJP will win 174 seats with the TMC collecting only 112 seats in West Bengal.
On the contrary, the ABP-C-Voter exit poll survey has predicted a return to power for the TMC for a third consecutive term in West Bengal with 152-164 seats in the 294-seat Assembly with the BJP scoring 109-121 seats in the state.
Left plus (Congress-ISF), according to the ABP-C voter, will be left with the crumbs with only 14-25 seats.
The ABP-C voter suggests the TMC collecting 42.1 per cent votes vis-a-vis BJP’s vote share of 39 per cent. CNN-18 survey predicts a clear win for the TMC with 162 seats as against BJP’s 115 seats.
Times Now-C voter puts TMC tally at 158, BJP 115 and the Congress-plus 19 seats and thus predicts a third-term for Mamata.
The Times Now-CVoter poll foresees the BJP to emerge as a potent force in the West Bengal political scenario and would become the main Opposition.
The saffron party will massively increase its tally from only three seats in the 2016 polls to 115 in the Bengal 2021 election, said Times Now-C voter which predicted 2.5 per cent drop in Muslim votes for the TMC.
Times Now-C voter also suggested a “close contest” in Nandigram where Mamata is contesting against her one-time protege Suvendu Adhikari and now her opponent in the VIP constituency on a BJP ticket.
BJP general secretary and Bengal-in-charge, Kailash Vijayvargiya, however, insisted that his party will win 190 seats and form the Government in the State saying there are “silent voters” in the state who will ‘revealed’ on May 2, the day of results.
Most of the exit-polls have predicted a win for the BJP-led NDA in Assam and also a thumping win for LDF in Kerala and for the DMK in Tamil Nadu.
In Assam, the India Today-Axis My India voter survey has predicted a return to power for the BJP with 75-85 seats vis-a-vis the Congress 40-50 seats and others getting 1 to 4 seats in 126 strong Assembly.
Republic-CNXE indicates NDA winning 78-84 seats in Assam and Congress collecting 40-50 seats.
Times Now-C voter says NDA (BJP plus) will win 65 seats in Assam, less of nine seats from last time and UPA (Congress plus) gaining a close 59 seats with others taking two seats.
Chanakya predicts 80 seats to the NDA in Assam.
In Kerala almost all exit-polls, predict return of LDF with a clear majority with greater strength in 126-seat state assembly with the Conress-led UDF getting considerably reduced numbers.
India Today indicates LDF to win 104 to 120 seats, UDF 20-36, BJP two and others two only.
Some of the survey has maintained that shift of Christian and Muslim voters to LDF for its credible performance in Kerala.
MK Stalin-led DMK is set to sweep the State and is expected to win anywhere between 140-173 seats, while the AIADMK and its allies are predicted to win 58 seats.
Times-C voter gives UPA (DMK plus) in Tamil Nadu 174 and NDA (AIDMK plus) 56. Actor-turned politician Kamal Hassan to gain only 4 per cent of votes in Tamil Nadu.
Puducherry is predicted to go the BJP way.
