Exit polls predict second term for Yogi as UP CM, AAP sweep in Punjab

Several exit polls forecast a clear majority for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab while being mixed in their predictions for Uttarakhand.

Several exit polls on Monday forecast a clear majority for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab with some of them giving an edge to the saffron party in Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

Exit polls on CNN News 18, Times Now, Republic TV and News X channels showed the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) getting anywhere between 211 and 277 seats and its main challenger in the Samajwadi Party-led alliance getting anywhere between 119 and 160 seats in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly.

CNN News 18-Matrize predicted 262-277 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and allies and 119-134 for the Samajwadi Party (SP) and allies in Uttar Pradesh. Times Now-Veto predicted 225 and 151 seats for them respectively.

Most of them were also unanimous in predicting a big win for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, with India Today-Axis projecting up to 76-90 seats in the 117-member assembly.

A few exit polls also forecast a hung assembly in Punjab, the only poll-bound state where the Congress is in power, while giving a clear edge to the AAP.

News 24-Today's Chankaya predicted a wave in the AAP's favour in Punjab, giving it 100 seats with a margin of 10 seats either side. It gave 43 to the BJP and 24 to the Congress in Uttarakhand.

TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat, however, predicted 56-61 seats for the AAP in Punjab, making it the frontrunner.

The Congress was mostly predicted to be securing the second spot in Punjab.

In Uttarakhand, both the Congress and the BJP were favoured by different exit polls to win the assembly polls. The ABP News-CVoter forecast an edge for the Congress in Uttarakhand, giving the party 32-38 seats in the 70-member assembly and the BJP 26-32 seats.

Goa was predicted by most pollsters to be heading for a hung assembly.

The BJP was given a clear edge by most exit polls in the polls to the 60-member Manipur assembly, with the Congress being seen a distant second.

The BJP is in power in four of the five states.

The exit polls signal that the BJP remains the dominant party in these states and indicate a big swing in the AAP's fortunes as Kejriwal's party is also seen to have emerged as a force in Uttarakhand and Goa where it may corner a decent poll percentage, if not many seats.

Most exit polls also predicted a big fall in the fortunes of Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and a setback for the Congress, which had hoped to retain power in Punjab and make a comeback in states like Uttarakhand and Goa.

The counting of votes will take place on March 10.