M A I N   N E W S

BJP set to retain power: exit poll

New Delhi, December 12
With the Narendra Modi factor working like magic in its favour, the BJP is set to retain power in Gujarat despite a stiff fight put up by the Congress, exit poll conducted by television news channels indicated this evening.

The BJP is likely to get between 93 and 109 seats, the Congress 72-88 seats while Independents and others will end up with one to five, the Aaj Tak exit poll said.

Meanwhile, the Zee News exit poll gave 101 seats to the BJP, 70 to the Congress and 11 to Independents and others.

These exit poll were conducted just after voting closed at 5 pm this evening with the Election Commission reporting nearly 63 per cent polling.

Voting was held for 181 of the 182 Assembly seats in the state. Election to the Surat west constituency was countermanded following the death of BJP candidate and Minister of State for Law and Judiciary Hemmant Chapatwala. There were at least 1000 candidates in the fray.

According to the Aaj Tak exit poll, Mr Narendra Modi was the most favourite candidate for the chief ministership getting 57 per cent votes while Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela secured 43 per cent votes in a nationwide survey.

In the outgoing Assembly, the BJP had a strength of 117 and the Congress 53 seats. Four seats each were with the Janata Dal and the Rashtriya Janata Party of Mr Vaghela who is now the Pradesh Congress President. One seat was with the Samajwadi Party and three with Independents.

The BJP votebank appears to have remained intact with the party likely to get 44 per cent votes while the Congress will get 41 per cent with an increase of 6 per cent because of the merger of Mr Vaghela’s party into the Congress.

Independents and others will get about 15 per cent votes, a loss of about 5 per cent.

With 3 per cent margin of error, the Aaj Tak exit poll indicated that 20 to 25 more seats could go to the BJP even if there was 1 per cent swing as the Congress candidates were likely to win with a margin difference.

In Saurashtra and Kutch region, accounting for 58 seats, the BJP will incur nominal losses because of the Patel community being reportedly still unhappy over the manner in which former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel was removed to pave way for Mr Modi.

The BJP is slated to get 36 to 40 seats, a loss of nearly 15 seats, while the Congress will gain and secure 16-20 seats.

Voting percentage in the region will be 43 for the BJP (a swing of 7 per cent against it), the Congress 37 per cent (a swing of seven per cent in its favour) and others 20 per cent (a loss of one per cent). UNI