Jharkhand Assembly election: Exit polls predict JMM-Cong+ storming to power

The fifth and final phase of polling in 16 Assembly constituencies of Jharkhand passed off peacefully, Election Commission officials said in Ranchi on Friday. 

An estimated 70.83 per cent of the total 4 milliion voters exercised their franchise when the polling ended at 5 pm, they added.

As many as four key contending parties are in the fray in these elections, held in five phases starting November 30. The Jharkhand elections are set in the backdrop of widespread protests against the amended Citizenship Act. 

While all eyes are now on the final count, scheduled for December 23, the India Today- My Axis exit poll indicates that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress-plus combine is set to get 38-50 of the 81 seats in the state Assembly. In contrast, the BJP is projected to get 22-30 seats, while AJSU is likely to take 3-5 seats. Between four and seven seats could go to others.

IANS-C voter-ABP exit poll trends have predicted a neck-and-neck fight between the JMM-Congress combine and the Bharatiya Janata party. While Congress is seen bagging 35 seats, BJP is projected to get 32, according to the poll.

Another poll by Kashish News gave the Congress-JMM alliance a near majority with 37-49 seats, while BJP was estimated to settle for 25-30 seats.
 

If exit polls turn out to be true, JMM's Hemant Soren could be the next chief minister of the state.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP bagged 37 seats and formed the government with alliance partner All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU). 

Exit polls

Polling Agencies	BJP	AJSU	JMM-Congress+	JVM	Others
India Today-Axis My India	22-32	3-5	38-50	2-4	4-7
IANS-C voter ABP	32	5	35	-	9 (including JVM)
Kashish News	25-30	2-4	37-49	-	2-4 (Including JVM)