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As the nation awaits the final results of the hotly contested assembly elections for the states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Monday, several news channels on December 14 tumbled out exit poll results predicting a landslide victory for the BJP in both the states. The channels conducted the exit polls after polling ended for the second phase of the Gujarat elections. BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 22 years and the party is looking to return to power in Himachal. The exit polls have left the BJP jubilant, and the Congress upset.
Almost all exit polls predicted more than 100 seats for the BJP in Gujarat, where the party has been ruling for last two decades now. In Himachal Pradesh, where the electorate has chosen the Congress and BJP alternately in Assembly polls, the exit polls projected a clear majority for the saffron party, unseating the Congress.
According to News 24, which got most of its predictions right in the past, BJP is expected to win 135 seats in Gujarat and Congress is likely to bag 47 seats. As per its survey, the BJP is also winning Himachal, bagging 55 seats while 13 seats will go in Congress pocket.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election Results 2017 LIVE UPDATES
Well-known psephologist Surjit Bhalla has predicted 125 seats for BJP in Gujarat and 57 for Congress. As per India Today-Axis My India, BJP will win 47-55 seats in Himachal while Congress could bag just 13 seats. Similarly, Times Now has predicted 109 seats for the BJP in Gujarat and 70 seats for Congress, others could get three seats. ABP CSDS figures, show Congress winning 64 seats while BJP once again ruling Gujarat winning 117 seats.
According to IndiaTv-VMR Exit poll, BJP will win the Central Gujarat region with 23 seats, while Congress may be limited to 16 seats. They also predict 24-30 seats for BJP in South Gujarat while Congress is expected to bag 6-8 seats. In north Gujarat, India TV predicts 30 seats for the ruling BJP, while Congress may sweep 23 seats.
The Aaj Tak-Axis exit poll gave 47-55 seats to the saffron party, 13-20 to the Congress and 0-2 to others in Himachal. It said the BJP would emerge as the winner in 99-113 Assembly segments in the state, while the Congress could win 68-82 seats in Gujarat.
The Republic-C Voter Exit Poll gave the BJP 108 seats and the Congress, 74 in Gujarat. However, all exit polls, except Chanakya, have projected that the Congress would increase its tally of seats.
According to the Election Commission, Gujarat registered a 67 percent turn out in the first phase that took place on December 9. Himachal, meanwhile, registered 74 per cent voter turnout in the single-phase polling on November 9.
In the 2012 Assembly polls in Gujarat, the BJP had won 115 seats, the Congress 61 and others, six. In the 2012 election, the Congress came to power by winning 36 seats, while the BJP got 26 seats and others bagged
the remaining six.
The elections were seen as a litmus test for both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, who was recently elevated as the president of Congress. Both the leaders did an extensive campaign in Gujarat and Himachal.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani hailed the Exit polls figure, saying people of his state have supported the BJP which does not indulge in low-level politics.
Gujarat Assembly Elections Results 2017 LIVE UPDATES
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh rejected all predictions that BJP was forming the government in the state and said that exit polls were manipulated and unscientific. “Exit polls should be banned in our country. These are not based on facts or real factors. I know the people’s pulse. I have been on the ground during campaigning. I have more sense of what people think than those conducting such exit polls. Exit polls have also been proved wrong in the past,” said the CM.
Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani rubbished the exit polls and said the BJP would not form the government this time. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch leader said, “Exit polls are nonsense. BJP is definitely going to lose this time and will not form the government.” Mevani is contesting from Vadgam in Banskantha district.
Assembly elections results 2017 LIVE Updates
Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel also rubbished the exit poll results. The PAAS convenor, who had led an agitation against the government demanding quota for the Patidar community, tweeted that there was no chance of BJP winning the Gujarat elections. “The exit polls show the BJP winning as a cover-up to faulty EVMs in Gujarat. If this election is true and fair, there is no chance of BJP winning,” Patel tweeted.
Gujarat
India Today-Axis My India: Congress (68-82), BJP (99-113) Others (1-4)
Times Now: Congress (66), BJP (113) Others (3)
India TV: Congress (65-75), BJP (104-114) Others (0-4)
ABP: Congress (64), BJP (117) Others (1)
News18 C voters: Congress (74) BJP (108) Others (-)
News 24: Congress (47) BJP (135) Others (-)
NewsX: Congress (65) BJP (115) Others (0-2)
Himachal Pradesh
India Today-Axis My India: Congress (13-20), BJP (47-55) Others (0-2)
Times Now: Congress (17) BJP (51) Others (-)
News 24: Congress (13), BJP (55) Others (-)
ABP: Congress (29) BJP (38) Others (1)
NewsX: Congress (18-24) BJP (42-50) Others (2)
The last week of the campaign witnessed a public spat between the two parties after Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar used “neech” to describe the Prime Minister for which he was criticised vehemently. Subsequently, the Congress suspended Aiyar from the primary membership of the party for his remark. Modi then alleged Pakistan’s interference in Gujarat elections and claimed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari were among others who conspired with their Pakistani guests at a dinner at Aiyar’s residence to defeat the BJP in Gujarat. This triggered a strong response from Manmohan Singh who sought an apology from the PM.
