Tuesday, June 23, 2026
ADVT 
India

Assembly Elections 2017: Who's Winning Punjab, UP? Here's What Exit Polls Show

Darpan News Desk, 09 Mar, 2017 10:40 AM
    In Punjab, India Today-Axis exit poll predicted 62-71 seats for the Congress in 117-member assembly, a comfortable majority, and 42-51 to Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.
     
    The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine was projected to be decimated in the state which it has ruled for a decade.
     
    All polls showed the alliance getting reduced to a single digit tally. However, India TV-C Voter projected 59-67 seats for debutante AAP and 41-49 for the Congress. India News-MRC and News 24-Chanakya forecast a dead heat by giving 55 and 54 seats each to both parties.
     
    NDTV forecast 55 seats for the Congress in Punjab, closely followed by the AAP with 54 seats. The incumbent Akali Dal-BJP alliance was predicted staring at a virtual decimation with only 7 seats in the 117-member assembly.
     
    The picture for Uttar Pradesh is clear - the BJP is ahead, based on an aggregate of the polls. 
     
    The surveys predicted BJP’s win in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand, while Congress is expected to stage a comeback in Punjab. 
     
    Today’s Chanakya which got its prediction right after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent Assembly polls, has given 285 seats to the BJP, 88 seats to the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance and just 27 seats to Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party.
     
    The India Today Axis exit poll predicted 185 seats, little short of the majority, for BJP in Uttar Pradesh followed by Samajwadi party-Congress alliance at 120 seats and BSP at 90 seats. As per India TV, the saffron party is expected to win 155 to 167 seats in Uttar Pradesh, while SP-Congress alliance is likley to win 135 to 147 seats follwoed by BSP with 81 to 93 seats.
     
    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav told BBC Hindi that he cannot rule out seeking a partnership with Mayawati, if his alliance with the Congress falls short. "I have always treated the BSP (Mayawati's party) with respect, so it's natural for people to assume we may seek her help. It's difficult to say at this point. I am confident the Congress-SP alliance will win...but look, nobody wants President's Rule, the BJP to run Uttar Pradesh by remote control."
     
     
    BJP PROJECTED TO WIN UTTARAKHAND, SAY ALL EXIT POLLS
     
     
    The BJP was projected to win Uttarakhand assembly polls by various exit polls on Thursday with projections ranging from 35 to 53 seats for the party in the 70-member house.
     
    The News 24-Today's Chanakya poll gave the Bharatiya Janata Party 53 seats, the ruling Congress 15 and others two in the hill state.
     
     
    India Today-Axis poll predicted that BJP would get 46-53 seats, the Congress 12-21, and others 2-6 seats.
     
    India News-MRC exit poll projected 38 seats for the BJP, 30 for the Congress, two for others. 
     
    India TV-Cvoter predicted that both the BJP and the Congress had a similar chance at forming the government in the state and projected 29-35 seats for both parties each. It projected two to nine seats for others. 
     
    The poll of polls done by CNN-News18 projected the BJP to be getting 38 seats, the Congress 26 and others six, and a similar exercise by NDTV projected the BJP getting 43 seats and the Congress 23 in the hill state.
     
     
    Exit polls were telecast on Thursday evening after the balloting ended on a seat each in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which polls were earlier countermanded following deaths of candidates. 
     
    Five states -- Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and Manipur -- witnessed assembly polls in February-March. The counting of votes will take place on Saturday.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Facebook Restores Taslima Nasreen's Account

    Facebook Restores Taslima Nasreen's Account
    Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen's Facebook account has been restored on Thursday after being disabled by Islamic fundamentalist for her posts.

    Facebook Restores Taslima Nasreen's Account

    Vacation Over, Rahul Gandhi Back Home

    Vacation Over, Rahul Gandhi Back Home
    Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi who was out of the public eye for nearly two months, was back on Thursday. The BJP, however, said "you just cannot shy away from your duties".

    Vacation Over, Rahul Gandhi Back Home

    Rahul Gandhi To Address April 19 Rally: Congress

    Rahul Gandhi To Address April 19 Rally: Congress
    Amid consistent speculation on the date of Rahul Gandhi's return from "leave of absence", the Congress party on Wednesday said he will address a 'kisan-mazdoor' (farmer-worker) rally here on Sunday and that his right to privacy should also be respected.

    Rahul Gandhi To Address April 19 Rally: Congress

    AAP To Take Action Against Yadav, Bhushan

    AAP To Take Action Against Yadav, Bhushan
    The AAP will take action against dissident party leaders Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and two others for organising 'Swaraj Samwad' - an open dialogue - against the party's wish, a leader said here on Wednesday.

    AAP To Take Action Against Yadav, Bhushan

    'India's Daughter': Convict Urges Hc To Prosecute Documentary Maker

    'India's Daughter': Convict Urges Hc To Prosecute Documentary Maker
    Mukesh Singh, one of the four convicts in the December 16, 2012 gang-rape, on Wednesday urged the Delhi High Court to an order a CBI inquiry and prosecution of the maker of the controversial BBC documentary "India's Daughter".

    'India's Daughter': Convict Urges Hc To Prosecute Documentary Maker

    'Janata Parivar' Announces Merger, Yet To Decide On Name

    'Janata Parivar' Announces Merger, Yet To Decide On Name
    After months of deliberations, six constituents of the erstwhile Janata Party, collectively referred as the 'Janata Parivar', announced their merger into a single entity on Wednesday to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP. 

    'Janata Parivar' Announces Merger, Yet To Decide On Name