Tight race between BJP, Cong in MP, C'garh; edge for Cong in Raj: Exit polls

Exit polls Friday predicted a tight finish between the BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and a win for the opposition party in Rajasthan.

They also predicted that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in Telangana will retain power.

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are all ruled by the BJP presently.

While Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat gave 108-128 seats to the BJP and 95-115 to the Congress in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh, India Today-Axis said the saffron party could win 102-120 seats as against 104-122 for the Congress.

However, the Times Now-CNX exit poll predicted a majority for the BJP in MP with 126 seats and gave the Congress a tally of 89 seats.

On the other hand, ABP News exit poll said the Congress is likely to get a majority by bagging 126 seats. The BJP, it added, would get 94 seats.

In the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly, exit polls broadcast by Republic-C Voter predicted 35-43 seats for the BJP and 4-50 for the Congress while the News Nation forecast a close race with 38-42 seats for the BJP and 40-44 for the Congress.

Times Now-CNX, however, gave a simple majority to the BJP in Chhattisgarh, saying it may win 46 seats while the opposition Congress may bag 35 seats. ABP News said the BJP may get up to 52 seats against 35 of the Congress.

However, India Today-Axis predicted the Congress is set to end Chief Minister Raman Singh's 15-year old reign by winning anywhere between 55-65 seats. The BJP, it said, may be reduced to 21-31 seats.

All the exit polls said the alliance of former chief minister Ajit Jogi's