M A I N   N E W S

Exit polls give thumbs up to Mamata in WB
Mixed verdict in other states

New Delhi, May 10
The Trinamool Congress-Congress alliance is set to sweep the Assembly elections in West Bengal, according to post-poll projections on television channels, while it was a mixed verdict in other states.

While the CNN-IBN-CSDS survey projects an edge for the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, Headlines Today predicted a close race in the state between the AIADMK and the DMK-led combinations.

Similarly in Kerala, the CNN-IBN survey says the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is placed marginally ahead but verdict too close to call, while Headlines Today gave the Congress-led UDF a clear majority.

Assam is likely to give the Congress a third time in power, according to CNN-IBN while it could be a hung verdict in prediction made by the Headlines Today.

According to research agency C-VOTER exit poll, the TMC alliance is set for a mammoth victory in West Bengal and the AIADMK will get a good majority in Tamil Nadu. There will be a hung verdict in Assam and clear victory for the Congress in Kerala, says the agency’s poll.

In the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal, CNN-IBN gives the Trinamool Congress alliance 222 to 234 seats. It suggests that the Left Front government is heading for its worst-ever performance in three decades.

In the 2006 elections, the Trinamool Congress- Congress alliance had only 40 seats while the Left parties had more than 230 seats.

Headlines Today has predicted 210-220 seats for the TMC-Congress alliance and 65 to 70 seats for the Left Front. The C-VOTER survey gives the TMC alliance 227-235 seats and the remaining to the Left Front.

In Tamil Nadu, CNN-IBN gives the AIADMK alliance a projection of 120 to 132 seats. The DMK alliance will get 102-114 seats, says the channel.

The Headlines Today survey projects 115-130 seats for the DMK alliance and 105 to 120 seats for the AIADMK alliance.

The C-VOTER survey gives the AIADMK alliance 168 to 176 seats while its projected score for the DMK alliance is 54 to 62 seats. In the last elections, the DMK alliance had 163 seats in the 234-member Assembly while the AIADMK alliance had just 69.

In Kerala, CNN-IBN has given the CPM-led Front 69 to 77 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the Congress-led UDF is likely to get 63 to 71 seats.

Headlines Today projects a clear majority for the UDF with 85 to 92 seats while the LDF will get 45 to 52 seats. C-VOTER gives the UDF 83 to 91 seats while the LDF will get 49 to 57 seats. In the last elections, the LDF had 91 seats while the UDF 38.

Tarun Gogoi is set to return as the Chief Minister in Assam in the CNN-IBN survey. The Congress will get between 64 and 72 seats in the 126-member Assembly, says the channel. Headlines Today gives the Congress 41 to 47 seats while the AGP is projected to get 31 to 35 seats. The BJP is expected to get 16 to 18 seats while the AUDF may get between 13 and 15 seats. According to C-VOTER, the Congress will get 41 to 45 seats, Bodo Peoples Front 7 to 11, AUDF 11-15, AGP 31-35 and BJP 14-18 seats.In the last elections, Congress had 53, AGP 24, BJP 10, AUDF 10 and ASDC 10 seats. — PTI